Victorian children calling Quitline over vaping addiction, health boss says

Victorian children as young as 10 are calling Quitline in tears over their vape addictions, prompting a new push to tackle vaping in schools.

Victorian children as young as eight are being offered e-cigarettes and 10-year-olds are calling Quitline in tears, the chief executive of VicHealth has revealed.

It comes as a new education program to curb vaping among Victorian schoolkids in years 7 to 10 was released on Thursday.

Dr Sandro Demaio said the program to prevent children from vaping and support those already addicted was “critical”.

He said while one in three teenagers had used e-cigarettes, only half knew they were addictive and harmful.

An education program is being launched to curb vaping among schoolkids in years 7 to 10.

“The industry is finding ways to get very, very young people, even younger than 10, addicted to these products,” said Dr Demaio.

“You can’t tell me that the unicorn on the packet and the pink colouring and the Fruit Loops flavouring is for the 65-year-old truckie trying to get off cigarettes.”

Dr Demaio said VicHealth was also working on programs for primary schoolkids in years 5 and 6.

Dr Demaio says the program to prevent children from vaping and support those already addicted is ‘critical’. Picture: AFP

The Cancer Council’s head of prevention and adjunct associate professor Craig Sinclair said the long-term health impacts of vaping were still unknown.

But he said e-cigarettes put people at a high risk of lung cancer and said nonsmokers who took up vaping were three times more likely to smoke cigarettes.

He said nicotine addictions also affected schoolchildren’s ability to concentrate and memorise information.

“It’s affecting the teenager’s brain at a time when it is continuing to grow and form,” Mr Sinclair said.

Originally published as Victorian children calling Quitline over vaping addiction, health boss says