Cancer Council WA has launched the second wave of its Clear the Air campaign, ‘You Can Break Free from Vaping‘, to help young West Australians aged 14-24 who currently vape in their efforts to quit.
Cancer Council WA CEO, Ashley Reid, said while the first wave of the Clear the Air campaign focused on the harms of vaping, this new wave is designed to equip young people with the tools needed to quit.
“The You can break free from vaping campaign involves real young people* sharing their stories and experiences on the negative impact vaping had on their health, and the positive impact quitting has had on their lives,” Mr Reid said.
“Young people have told us that vaping is draining their wallets, making them feel constantly fatigued, and harming their fitness, sports performance, and ability to focus.
“Many are experiencing persistent coughing, shortness of breath, worsened asthma, and frequent colds. Their sleep and mental health are suffering, yet they feel trapped in this addiction that they never saw coming. They want to take back control but have little knowledge of how.”
Mr Reid said that over the past five or so years, young people have become heavily addicted to vaping and may continue to vape or even switch to cigarettes if they do not receive support to quit their nicotine dependence.”This campaign highlights the harms of nicotine addiction and equips young people with the knowledge they need to leave vaping behind,” he said.
“By providing clear, supportive messaging and practical resources, we are helping them take control of their health and break free from vaping.”
The campaign encourages individuals to visit cleartheair.org.au to access tips to quit, take the ‘Am I addicted’ quiz, and use the quit savings calculator to see how much they can save by quitting.
Funded by Lotterywest and Healthway, the campaign will run until 29 June 2025 across social media (Tiktok, Snapchat, Meta), YouTube, programmatic audio, as well as displayed at skate parks, university campuses, youth centres, pubs and cinema foyers.
The campaign was launched Thursday 6 March at Claremont Football Club, where Cancer Council WA is partnering with the club to educate players on the harms of vaping and create vape-free environments.
