'Every vape is a hit to your health' Anti-Vaping Campaign 2023-2024

Campaign overview

Cancer Institute NSW is delivering a new campaign, ‘Every vape is a hit to your health’ to young people aged 14-24 in NSW. The campaign highlights the health harms and harmful ingredients in e-cigarettes (vapes).

The campaign is live from 28 January to 30 June 2024. It is being delivered across a range of mass media channels, including social media, online video, native, search, audio, digital display, cinema and outdoor advertising.

The campaign connects young people to more information about vaping and quit support including digital apps, Quitline telephone support, talking to their GP and behavioural quit strategies.

For more information on vaping, young people can visit www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/vaping.

Why we need a campaign

E-cigarette use among young people is increasing significantly.^[1] Vaping is harmful to health^.[2]

E-cigarettes contain harmful chemicals and toxins such as formaldehyde and heavy metals.^[2]  The majority of e-cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance.^[2] 

‘Every vape is a hit to your health’ is one part of NSW Health’s comprehensive strategy to address the increasing use of e-cigarettes among young people in NSW.

Campaign audience

The campaign targets people aged 14-24 in NSW who currently vape and those who might be at risk of future uptake.

Focus audiences:

• Aboriginal people aged 14-24 in NSW 
• Culturally and linguistically diverse people aged 14-24 in NSW.

Tailored and translated assets, and targeted media will be used to reach and engage these audiences.

Campaign objectives

• Increase the proportion of people who believe vaping is not safe
• Increase the proportion of people who vape who intend to quit vaping
• Maintain the proportion of people who do not vape who intend to continue not to vape
• Increase the proportion of people who vape who have made attempts to quit vaping.

Key messages

• Vaping can cause lung damage.
• Vaping can leave you breathless.
• The nicotine in vapes makes them highly addictive like cigarettes.
• Vapes can explode and cause severe burns, usually around the face, hands, thighs and genitals.
• Vapes can cause nicotine poisoning. Symptoms include vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea.
• Vapes contain hundreds of toxic chemicals, including those that can cause cancer, heart disease and lung damage. 
• Vapes contain:
  • Formaldehyde found in disinfectant and is known to cause cancer.
  • Acrolein found in weed killer and is toxic to the heart and lungs.
  • Mercury found in batteries and is known to damage fertility.
  • Arsenic found in poisons and is known to damage internal organs.
  • Benzene found in bug spray and is known to damage DNA.
  • Chlorine found in disinfectant and is known to cause lung damage.

Resources

NSW Health offers resources about vaping for parents and carers, teachers and schools, health professionals, and young people.

Evidence

A variety of resources have been utilised in the development of this campaign. Please visit the below reports for further information outlining the evidence on the harms of vaping. 

• E-cigarette analysis project: summary report (PDF)
• E-cigarette use among youth and young adults. A report of the Surgeon General
• E-cigarettes and other alternative nicotine products
• E-cigarettes, smoking and health. A literature review update
• Electronic cigarettes and health outcomes: systematic review of global evidence
• Electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems: a brief
• Health effects of electronic cigarettes: an umbrella review and methodological considerations
• Inhalation toxicity of non-nicotine e-cigarette constituents: risk assessments, scoping review and evidence map (PDF)
• Non-nicotine liquids for e-cigarette devices in Australia: chemistry and health concerns
• Public health consequences of e-cigarettes
• The health consequences of smoking: 50 years of progress. A report of the Surgeon General (PDF)
• The impact of vaping on adolescent mental health (PDF)