The NSW Government is today announcing it will hold its Vaping Roundtable on 16 November as the next step in its commitment to curbing the growing issue of vaping in NSW schools.

This week, invitations were extended to key stakeholders to take part in the NSW Government’s first Vaping Roundtable.

The roundtable will hear from principals, students, health experts, and other key stakeholders about the community-wide issue of vaping.

The Vaping Roundtable will:

• Hear evidence on how vaping is affecting young people and schools
• Discuss effective school-based vaping interventions

Those invited to the roundtable include NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant, Manager of the Cancer Council NSW’s Tobacco Control Unit Alecia Brooks, University of Sydney School of Public Health Associate Professor Becky Freeman, leaders from the NSW Department of Education, along with the NSW Teachers Federation, NSW P & C Federation and the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People.

A number of NSW public, independent and Catholic primary and secondary school principals have also been invited to the roundtable to discuss their experiences of dealing with vaping and vape-related incidents in their schools.

Information and findings gathered at the roundtable will be used to inform future NSW Government policies and interventions into combatting the issue of vaping in schools.

This work comes in addition to $6.8 million invested by the NSW Government in cracking down on the sale of illegal vapes, to support young people addicted to vaping.

This work will also complement measures implemented by the Australian Government, including its commitment to restrict the sale of vapes and e-cigarettes.

Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

“We’re committed to addressing the prevalence of vaping in NSW schools.”

“The evidence suggests that vaping is now becoming a gateway for an increase in smoking rates in young people.

“This is a way to hear directly from schools, health expers and other key stakeholders on how we can begin to address this serious health issue in our schools.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“Many principals, teachers, parents and schools are struggling with the growing issue of vaping, and how best to deal with it.

“Vaping is a community-wide issue, and the Minns Labor Government is committed to addressing it with an evidenced-based approached.

“It is important we take on board what we are hearing form health experts, and we listen to what our teachers and principals are telling us.”

Minister for Health and Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park said:

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to doing all we can to protect our students from the dangers posed by vaping.

“We know the number of young people vaping is growing, and it’s important we move ahead with an evidenced-based measures to tackle this concerning issue.

“It’s important we take the time to consult with experts as we formulate the best step forward as we look to curb the issue of vaping within our schools.”