AN APP to help young people quit vaping, Pave, has been launched by NSW Health.
Developed by the Cancer Institute NSW, and designed together with young people who vape or had recently quit vaping, Pave is now available on Apple's App Store and Google Play.
Pave provides users with helpful tips, motivation, tracking tools, distractions for when cravings hit, as well as activities and information to navigate common barriers to quitting vaping.
It includes a daily check-in feature supporting users to reflect on their progress and a click-to-call function to connect with Quitlinecounsellors.
Cancer Institute NSW said the experiences of young vapers and former vapers informed the content and user interface of theapp.
"It's encouraging to see that tens of thousands of young people are trying to quit vaping or thinking about doing so," said Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of Cancer Institute NSW, Professor Tracey O'Brien.
"But vaping remains a significant public health issue, and the new Pave app is another option we can provide to encourage young people to seek help and stay on track on their quit journey."
The app comes as new data shows NSW Health's youth-targeted campaign has supported or persuaded almost 40,000 young people in NSW to quit vaping.
The 'Every vape is a hit to your health' behaviour change campaign, designed to reduce the health impact of vaping among 14 to 24 year olds in NSW, was launched in Jan 2024.
Running across TV, public transport and social media, the campaign connects young people to information about vaping and quit support, including telephone support through the Quitline, general practitioners and now digital apps such as Pave.
New research shows the campaign motivated 24,000 young people in NSW to quit vaping, and persuaded a further 15,000 to consider quitting.
It also shows that 80% of young Aboriginal people who vape felt motivated to try to quit after being exposed to the campaign.
The campaign is now entering a new phase which will highlight the health harms of vaping including nicotine addiction, lung damage, breathlessness, nicotine poisoning and burns from exploding vapes.
"Vaping can cause significant health harms and can be highly addictive," Professor O'Brien said.
"Like cigarettes, vapes are also full of harmful chemicals that have been known to cause cancer and there is growing evidence that young people who vape are more likely to take up smoking, which can significantly increase their cancer risk," she continued.
"It's important that people avoid taking up vaping or seek help to quit, and while quitting can be hard, with support, taking that first step can be life changing." KB
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