New Zealand’s First Quit Vaping Guidelines For Youth Released

FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER

The first New Zealand guidelines
to support youth to quit vaping have been released at the
New Zealand Respiratory Conference in Wellington.

‘
A reference guide: To support rangatahi to quit vaping’ –
written and published by the Asthma and Respiratory
Foundation NZ – is aimed at helping health professionals who
work with adolescents and young adults (AYA) to tackle
vaping and e-cigarette addiction.

Chief Executive Ms
Letitia Harding says the decision to develop these
guidelines stemmed from the lack of support currently
available for younger generations.

“We have been
advocating for a long time for dedicated support services to
help our young people quit vaping.”

It is widely
documented that around 1 in 5 (20%) of high school students
are now regular vapers.

Yet, currently, smoking
cessation services in New Zealand are funded only to support
those over 16 years old wanting to stop or reduce their
cigarette smoking.

“It’s our hope that these
guidelines will assist health professionals to support AYA,
who are now dependent on vapes, to become nicotine-free.” Ms
Harding says.

The guidelines are a ‘living document’,
which can be added to as new information becomes available,
she says.

Foundation Āpiha Takawaenga Māori (Māori
Community Liaison) Sharon Pihema says the lack of support
services has been a major obstacle for rangatahi wanting to
quit vaping.

“Our rangatahi and their whānau have
been trying to get help from Quitline and their GPs, but
with no funding allocated, they get no support. It’s almost
as if they need to start smoking so they can get help to
quit vaping.”

Ms Pihema hopes these guidelines will
remove those barriers.

“They need one-on-one support,
a plan, and ongoing follow-up to make sure they can
successfully quit vaping and lead healthier
lives.”

Professor in Public Health Interventions,
University of New South Wales, Hayden McRobbie, who is a
health behaviour change expert with experience in managing
tobacco dependence, says these guidelines are a positive
step in assisting youth to quit vaping.

“There is
currently a dearth of evidence for vaping cessation, however
these guidelines provide some practical tips that health
professionals will find helpful,” Professor McRobbie
says.

The guidelines are available to download from
the Foundation’s dedicated vaping website Don’t Get
Sucked
In.

© Scoop Media