The Victor Harbor-based Encounter Youth support service has come up with a new program to deter high school students from taking up vaping.

The program is in response to what they say has been a huge increase in the use of e-cigarettes and vaping among young people, with secondary schools struggling to manage illegal use and requesting help to manage the problem.

Encounter Youth Chief Executive Officer, Nigel Knowles says Encounter Youth’s Empower Education program is strongly positioned to support schools with targeted alcohol & other drug prevention education.

“As the leading provider of alcohol & other drug education in South Australia, Encounter Youth has the established relationships and proven track record to support school students, parents and teachers in navigating the social pressure of vaping,” Mr Knowles says.

A report in July 2022 by The Commissioner for Children and Young People found that 60.6 per cent of young people thought that schools should teach young people about vaping.

Students expressed a desire for education to focus on health and wellbeing and be delivered by specialists, including, “guest speakers who are engaging and relatable”.

“Empower Education’s new vaping program provides a specifically targeted interactive seminar to inform students on the health impacts of vaping and connect them with the support needed to reduce the incidence of vaping among young people,” Mr Knowles says.

“The alcohol and other drug sector is constantly changing and the addition of vaping education to Encounter Youth’s Empower Education program will ensure that South Australia’s young people are equipped with the knowledge and strategies they need to look after themselves and their mates,” he says.

Schools seeking to access the new program are encouraged to contact Encounter Youth.