Health Update from Lung Foundation Australia: Vaping Information

Lung Foundation Australia is the Australia's Peak Lung Health Advisory Body to the Australian Government's Department of Health. We are a not-for-profit organisation working to strengthen the lung health of all Australians and supporting those experiencing a lung disease. For more than 30 years, as a patient representative charity, we have partnered with patients, health professionals, researchers, medical organisations, and the community to drive reform in the delivery of health services to benefit the 7 million + Australians impacted by lung disease and lung cancer 

A priority area of interest is tobacco control, smoking cessation and over recent years e cigarettes and vaping. Central to creating strong respiratory health for all Australians is ensuring Australians are free from addiction to nicotine and other substances which may cause lung diseases. We have consistently advocated for laws to increase the age of access to tobacco and flavoured vaping products, and stronger regulations for the monitoring and enforcement of tobacco and vaping products,

Many schools and learning institutions have sought the Lung Foundation's assistance to address the rising number of young people vaping in schools.

In 2020 Lung Foundation Australia, in collaboration with Minderoo Foundation, commissioned Curtin University to research the chemical ingredients in 52 flavoured e-liquids for sale over the counter in Australia. This Australian first project found results which are deeply concerning:

• 100% of liquids tested had incomplete or an inaccurate ingredient list
• 100% of e-liquids had between 1-19 chemicals which have unknowneffects on respiratory health
• 21% of e-liquids contained nicotine (although it is illegal to sell e-liquids containing nicotine in all Australian states and territories)
• 62% of e-liquids studied contained chemicals likely to be toxic if vaped repeatedly. Toxicity increases through the vaping process.

We presented the results of this research at an the first ever Young People and Vaping Roundtable funded by nib Foundation in December 2020.

An immediate outcome of the roundtable was new school resources co-designed with young people, educators, school leaders, and parents. These resources and have been rigorously assessed, against available evidence, by a panel of leading respiratory physicians and adolescent health professionals. We certainly value your feedback on the usefulness of the resources and encourage you to widely circulate such within your school or professional communities. 

We are pleased to share four resources for distribution to within your community. The resources can be downloaded via our website, here and include:

• Vaping and Young People for Educators - https://lungfoundation.com.au/resources/vaping-and-young-people-for-educators/
• Vaping and Young People for Parents and Carers - https://lungfoundation.com.au/resources/vaping-and-young-people-parents-and-carers/
• Vaping and Young People for Young Adults 18-24 years - https://lungfoundation.com.au/resources/vaping-and-young-people-young-adults-age-18-24/
• Young and Young People for Youth 12 – 17 years - https://lungfoundation.com.au/resources/vaping-and-young-people-youth-age-12-17/

In early 2022 a new online training program for teachers and young people will also be released and will include personal, relational, environmental, and product-related factors that influence take-up and use of e-cigarettes, and potential associated health risks. The project aims to promote the adoption/maintenance of healthy behaviours by preventing the uptake of vaping and aiding cessation of use for existing vapers.