Bairnsdale area schools are being invited to participate in a series of anti-vaping presentations led by Gippsland Lakes Complete Health (GLCH) prevention and population wellbeing worker, Tehseen Zafar.
The project suggests ways to prevent children and teens from vaping at all by spelling out the dangers and long-term health effects of nicotine and the chemicals in vapes and e-cigarettes.
Tehseen said that despite the dangers of vapes and Victorian laws banning their sale to under 18s, vapes are still readily accessible to young people, even primary school-aged children.
In his presentation, Tehseen says the tobacco industry continues to undersell the health risks and markets its products to children and teens while downplaying the effects of nicotine addiction.
Vapes contain a cocktail of nicotine, formaldehyde, heavy metals and 250 other chemicals masked by sweet flavours made to appeal to young taste buds.

IMAGE: Gippsland Lakes Complete Health (GLCH) prevention and population wellbeing worker, Tehseen Zafar (right), with Bairnsdale-based GLCH school focused youth services facilitator, Brydie Bourke. (PS)