Page 4015 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 30 November 2022
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particularly like to acknowledge the contribution of my New South Wales colleague Brad Hazzard and his efforts in this area to drive policy work.
While nationally coordinated action is key, the ACT government has also recognised that schools represent an important setting to deliver e-cigarette prevention initiatives. That is why the ACT Health Directorate is working with the Education Directorate, the Catholic Education Office and independent schools to strengthen e-cigarette education and prevention strategies in school communities.
As part of this approach, a toolkit of evidence-based curriculum resources and educational materials on e-cigarettes is currently in development for years 7 and 8 educators and students. The toolkit, which is being co-designed with local teachers and students, is expected to be available to all secondary schools by term 2, 2023 and may be expanded and modified to suit other year levels as appropriate.
In addition to working with our educational institutions, the Health Directorate is developing a communication strategy for a public health campaign around e-cigarettes. This approach will be informed by the formative research undertaken with young Canberrans and campaigns in other Australian jurisdictions and around the world.
Finally, I would like to recognise Dr Paterson for her ongoing engagement and advocacy in this space. Dr Paterson’s motion has helped continue the public conversation and brought the voices of concerned parents and families to the chamber. To them and to Dr Paterson I can confirm that I and the ACT government will continue to ensure locally that we are minimising the harm as much as possible from e-cigarettes and, nationally, that we are seeing coordinated, effective actions.
I present the following papers:
Vaping products—Education and Regulation—Assembly resolution of 3 August 2021—Update—Ministerial statement, 30 November 2022.
I move:
That the Assembly take note of the paper.
DR PATERSON (Murrumbidgee) (10.44): I would like to thank Minister Stephen-Smith and the ACT government very much for the significant work that has been done to address vaping and the use of e-cigarettes in our community, particularly for young people.
Before I brought my motion to the Assembly last year I was approached by an increasing number of parents and concerned members of the community who had significant and understandable concerns about kids vaping both in the community and in our schools. It was also brought to my attention by my son, who was grappling with peer pressure to vape, and his stories of his friends vaping. I thought how easy it was to acquire vaping products for a 13-year-old was quite shocking. This collective angst from parents in the Canberra community drove me to want to do something to address this situation front-on.
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