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photo-laureen
Published: 28 May 2025

Have you wanted to better understand vaping harms? Maybe you’ve wanted to support a young person to quit vaping? Or perhaps you aren’t sure what is and isn’t legal in the vaping space.

In recognition of World No Tobacco Day, one of the District's Health Promotion Officers Lauren Proudfoot unmasks vaping’s appeal in this article, using the best evidence on supporting people to quit vaping.

The number of young people vaping in NSW has risen in the past few years, but the Generation Vape study shows that Australia’s comprehensive approach to regulating vapes is having a positive impact on reducing adolescent vaping.

Less young people in NSW are now vaping and accessing vapes than last year, and most young people (81%) have never vaped.

Lauren believes this data casts aside the idea that young people vape to fit in.

“The way vapes are marketed makes it seem like they need to vape to fit in or be cool,” Lauren said.

“But, not vaping is the norm. To help young people continue to make the choice not to vape, we need to get this message out there.

“They are becoming aware of the marketing and need our support, not our judgement.”

Lauren said vaping could negatively affect young people's physical and mental health.

Nicotine in vapes is highly addictive and can harm the developing brain, affecting attention, learning, mood and memory.

Also, vaping exposes people to potentially harmful chemicals and can lead to lung damage, breathing problems and other health issues.

All this has made Lauren passionate about supporting people to quit vaping.

“Adults and friends who support young people on their journeys can take a non-judgmental approach and inform themselves about the facts about vaping and how hard it is to give up nicotine,” Lauren said.

To help, she recommends the Pave app, designed in partnership with young people who vape or had recently quit vaping. It helps guide young people on the best way to give up vapes.

Learn more on the North Coast Youth Vaping Taskforce’s Youth Vaping Hub or VicHealth’s Vaping Conversation Guide for Parents.

If you find yourself with young people who are impacted by vaping or you are wishing to stop vaping yourself, contact I Can Quit.

About Lauren

Lauren has passionately shared her knowledge of vaping harms in the community and clinical settings for the past three years.

Her dedication has earned her the runner-up Staff Member of the Year title at the 2024 Northern NSW Quality Awards.

This year, Lauren was integral to the team that won the Excellence in Aboriginal Healthcare Award in the 2025 Quality Awards, for the Clouded Minds project.

Clouded Minds was co-designed with students to deliver vaping education in Years 7 to 9 over six workshops.