‘Petrified’: Young people urged to quit vaping

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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.

“Fair dinkum, it turned out to be a real addiction, especially with the flavour, and that kept going right through to uni.”

I found it helped me relax and reduced the stress I was feeling when studying.

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

“She was terrified, mate, and she didn't want to bugger up her health, she was experiencing all the classic smoker's symptoms.”

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

“Apparently, the faster you go through a vape, the more often you'll need to use it, which can end up costing you a fair bit of money,” she said.

Now, Ms Prasad has proudly given up the nasty habit.

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

The app is the next step in the government's move to change young people's attitudes towards vaping.

Following its recent "Every vape is a hit to your health" campaign, research has shown that 24,000 young people in NSW have been inspired to give up vaping, with a further 15,000 considering quitting since the campaign launched in January 2024.

The new app, released on Tuesday, will give users helpful hints, motivation, tracking tools, and distractions to help manage cravings, as well as activities and information to tackle common hurdles for quitting vaping.

Ms Prasada said that having an app tailored to a person's lifestyle would have been a big help for her to give up smoking.

“If I'd had this back then, it wouldn't have just helped me stop vaping, it would've let me live a healthier lifestyle,” she said.

It's got plans that help you move from one end of the health spectrum to actually achieving a healthier lifestyle.

“What young people are really looking for is a type of tailored support, they want to know that there's something in place for them.”

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

“Fair dinkum, I'm really worried about the number of dodgy vapes that are floating around in our community,” Mr Park said.

“Specifically, I'm concerned about the effects it will have on the community's health, and in the end, our healthcare system, far into the future.”

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to defuse a ticking time bomb in public health.”

“Our efforts against vaping can't just be about enforcing the rules – we've got to convince young people to take responsibility for their own health, and also clean up the streets of dodgy vaping products.”

I'm really pleased with our work in raising awareness among young people about the risks of vaping and encouraging them to resist or give up the habit.

“What I’m determined to see as minister is the necessary support to enable them to achieve it.”

Mr Park said he hoped the app would be a top resource for young people wanting to get back in charge of their health again.

"This app is a vital tool for young people to use to help them kick the habit of vaping," he said.

“The signs are showing up that vaping will have a big impact on our community's health, and in the long run, our healthcare system, if we don't do anything about it.”

“It took us three quarters of a century to get smoking rates down to where they are now – I don’t want that same amount of time to pass for our young people when it comes to vaping. We’ve got to take action now.”

“What's really special about this app is that its development and its content have been informed by young people who've had to deal with vaping.”

“Getting to work with young people who've been impacted by vaping is crucial for coming up with something that actually works.”

“It’s been guided by the people it’s trying to assist.”

What's more, it provides young people with really practical solutions that suit their age group's needs.

I'm not after a scenario where we rely solely on fines and penalties.

We need to encourage young people to want to give up smoking and give them the tools to be successful in doing so.

The app has been designed in collaboration with the Cancer Institute and will be available for download on iOS and Android mobile devices.

The boss of the New South Wales Cancer Institute, Professor Tracey O'Brien, says there's a lot of hope that young people will keep on avoiding vaping and look after their health in the long run.

"It's a positive sign to see that tens of thousands of young people are either trying to give up vaping or are considering doing so," Ms O'Brien said.

“Vaping remains a major public health issue and the new Pave app is another tool we can offer to encourage young people to seek help and stay on course with their quit journey.”

“Vaping can cause serious health problems and can be extremely hard to quit once you start.”

“Just like cigarettes, vapes contain heaps of nasty chemicals that are linked to cancer. There's more and more proof that young blokes who vape are more likely to start smoking, which can make them a lot more susceptible to getting cancer.”

“G'day mate, it's crucial that people steer clear of vaping or get some help to kick the habit. Quitting can be a real challenge, but with support, takin' that first step can be a game-changer.”