NSW government launches app to help young people quit vaping

Young people who are vaping are being offered a chance to take back control of their health, as 24,000 have already chosen to quit the habit in one state.

A 21-year-old university student is hoping other young people will learn the dangers of vaping after her declining health and the rising cost of the habit led her to help launch a new app aimed at helping people quit using vapes.

The NSW government is trying to help young people quit vaping. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Simran Prasad started vaping in her final year of high school because the alternative to smoking cigarettes became “popular and easily accessible” for a bit of cash.

“It became the norm, it was quite an experimental thing,” Ms Prasad told NewsWire.

“Sadly, it became an addiction especially with the flavour, and that went on through to university.

“I found it would calm me down with the stress associated with studying.”

However, when Ms Prasad’s started noticing she was always coughing and had light-headedness, she realised she had to stop vaping.

“You don’t want to damage your health and I was getting all most smoker symptoms, I was petrified,” she said.

The rising costs were also a factor in Ms Prasada deciding to stop vaping.

“It seems the quicker you get through a vape, the more you need, the more expensive it is,” she said.

Now, Ms Prasad has proudly quit the nasty habit.

Simran Prasad has quit vaping after getting addicted to the product in high school. Picture: Supplied

She found she started to become reliant upon vaping as a way to deal with stress. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

She’s one of 240 young people who has helped the NSW government develop its new evidence based app, Pave, which is aimed at helping more young people quit vaping.

The app is the next part of the government’s effort in changing young people’s health behaviour when it comes to vaping.

In the wake of its latest ‘Every vape is a hit to your health’ campaign, research found 24,000 young people in NSW had been motivated to quit vaping, with a further 15,000 considering quitting since the January 2024 launch.

The new app, released on Tuesday, will provide users with helpful tips, motivation, tracking tools, distractions for when cravings hit, as well as activities and information to navigate common barriers to quitting vaping.

Ms Prasada said having an app that is personalised to a person’s lifestyle would have greatly helped her quit.

“If I were to have used this at the time, it wouldn’t have just helped quit vaping, it would have allowed me create a healthier lifestyle,” she said.

“It’s got plans (that help you go from) one end of the spectrum of your health to actually creating a healthier lifestyle.

“What young people really seek is a form of personalised support, they want to know something is there for them.”

Vape products can cause health issues in various forms. Picture: NewsWire /Gaye Gerard

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the uptake in vaping among young people was very concerning for the government.

“I am very concerned about the prevalence of illegal vapes in our community,” Mr Park said.

“In particular, I’m worried about the impacts it will have on the community’s health, and ultimately, our health system, long into the future.

“This is a once-in-a-generation moment to prevent a ticking time bomb in public health.

“Our efforts against vaping cannot be solely about enforcement – we’ve got to persuade young people to take ownership of their health, as well as clean our streets of illegal products.

“I am encouraged by our efforts to create awareness among young people of the dangers of vaping, as well as to instil in them a desire to say no, or to quit.

“What I’m determined to see as minister is the requisite supports to help them do it.”

Mr Park said he hoped the app would be a great resource for young people wanting to take control of their health again.

“This app is crucial tool for young people to use to help them quit vapes,” he said.

“The evidence is emerging that vaping will have significant effects our community’s health, and ultimately, our health system, long into the future if we leave it unchecked.

“It took us three quarters of a century to reduce smoking rates to what they are today – I don’t want that for our young people when it comes to vaping. We’ve got to act now.

“What is really special about this app is that its development and its content have been informed by young people who have grappled with vaping.

“Working with young people who’ve been affected by vaping is crucial for developing something that works.

“It’s been informed by the very people it seeks to help.

“What’s more is that it offers young people very practical solutions that suit their generational dynamics.

“I don’t want a situation where we only lean on enforcement.

“We’ve got to instil a desire in young people to want to quit and to provide them with the resources to succeed.”

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park says the app will help young people quit vaping. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

The app has been co-designed with the Cancer Institute, and will be available for download on iOS and Android devices.

Cancer Institute chief executive of NSW, Professor Tracey O’Brien said there was a lot of hope young people will continue to turn away from vaping in favour of protecting their health in the long run.

“It’s encouraging to see that tens of thousands of young people are trying to quit vaping or thinking about doing so,” Ms O’Brien said.
“But vaping remains a significant public health issue and the new Pave app is another option we can provide to encourage young people to seek help and stay on track on their quit journey.

“Vaping can cause significant health harms and can be highly addictive.

“Like cigarettes, vapes are also full of harmful chemicals that have been known to cause cancer and there is growing evidence that young people who vape are more likely to take up smoking, which can significantly increase their cancer risk.”

“It’s important that people avoid taking up vaping or seek help to quit. While quitting can be hard, with support, taking that first step can be life changing.”