NSW health warning about vaping – the Australian

In the lead up to summer holidays, parents have been advised to engage in conversations with their children to discourage vaping.

NSW Health has issued a warning to parents about the risks from vaping among young people, advising that “there is no such thing as a safe vape”.

In the lead up to summer holidays, NSW Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant, has advised parents to engage in conversations with their children to discourage vaping.

“We are encouraging parents to be aware of the dangers vapes pose and to be on the lookout for devices which could look like USB sticks, pens or highlighters,” she said in a statement.

“Vapes contain dangerous ingredients which could cause irreversible damage to the health and development of young people. There is no such thing as a safe vape.”

Dr Chant said NSW Health was also aware of links between mental health concerns and vaping among young people.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said vaping companies had disguised the harmful chemicals in vapes, including some found in weedkiller and nail polish remover, by marketing the product in hundreds of flavours and bright colours to attract kids.

“The potential harm is enormous and we need to share this information with our kids,” he said.

Earlier this year, the NSW warned retailers they could face prosecution if they are caught selling illegal vapes.

Dr Chant said the government had a series of major busts over the past four months, seizing thousands of vapes as part of the crackdown on retailers.

“We continue to use this information to close in on retailers who break the law and sell illegal vapes and liquids containing nicotine. This quarter alone we broke records with nearly 53,000 products seized, worth over an estimated $1.6 million,” Dr Chant said. “We continue to make good on this commitment with NSW Health seizing more than 166,000 e-cigarette products totalling an estimated street value of over $4.6 million from February 2021 to September 2022.