Prevention
Vaping prevention is best managed as part of a whole-school approach to supporting student health and wellbeing. The following strategies seek to support vaping prevention at school.
Student teaching and learning
Deliver vaping prevention in student drug and alcohol education, as part of the Health and Physical Education curriculum:
- Quit Victoria(opens in a new window) has developed free primary and secondary school teaching and learning resources that focus on vaping health and media literacy, critical thinking and promoting community health. They have also been prepared for adaptation to science, literacy, numeracy, civics and citizenship, and media arts curriculum areas
- OurFutures(opens in a new window) offers a Year 7 and 8 vaping prevention program using online cartoon lessons and accompanying classroom activities
- Life Education Victoria(opens in a new window)
- Schools Mental Health Menu including alcohol and drug education(opens in a new window) – refine search by category ‘1.6 Alcohol and drug education’.
Support for staff
Support staff professional development and learning:
- Quit Victoria – Get the Facts on Vaping(opens in a new window).
Healthy school culture
Embed and promote positive behaviours at school in a respectful and inclusive manner:
- Join the Healthy Schools Achievement Program(opens in a new window) – a free program that provides a framework and resources for a whole-of-school approach to health and wellbeing, including smoking and vaping.
- Promote a positive school environment via:
Leadership and commitment
Engage student voice to inform school vaping prevention strategies such as:
- student-led research or surveys
- peer-to-peer education
- student-led local health campaigns or communications – young people respond well to peer-led behavioural change campaigns.
Refer to the Student Voice, Agency and Leadership policy for more information.
Family and community partnerships
Support and promote parents and carers to talk about vaping with their children. Schools can use the following to support conversations with families:
- Quit Victoria and VicHealth Get the facts on vaping(opens in a new window)
- VicHealth Talking to your teen about vaping(opens in a new window)
- Better Health Channel(opens in a new window)
- Royal Children’s Hospital(opens in a new window)
- Alcohol and Drug Foundation(opens in a new window)
- The department’s Smoking and vaping: Advice for parents(opens in a new window).
Contact local partners, such as Local Public Health Units(opens in a new window), local council, or community health services, who may be able to support whole-school approaches.
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