Youth vaping. So, check this out—Samantha Odo’s son is battling with vaping, and it’s no walk in the park. Finding a way to kick the habit ain’t easy. But they’ve been trying things out, you know? Keeping busy and hanging with supportive pals seems to help.
The Vape Battle
Samantha’s son, like many others, is trying hard to quit vaping. It’s tough dealing with those cravings and breaking the habit, you know? But he’s on it, finding ways to distract himself and stay away from that vape.
The Quest for Answers
They’re not alone in this journey. The Aussie government’s throwing some cash—$2.2 million—to figure out how to help peeps like Samantha’s son. They wanna prevent young ones from getting into vaping, understand what makes them quit, and tackle the sneaky pro-vaping stuff on social media.
Dr. Emily Stockings Steps In
Here’s the scoop: Dr. Stockings, from the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre, bagged $1.5 million to tackle this vaping puzzle. She’s working with a bunch of young folks, nearly 20,000 of them! With this cash, they plan to keep an eye on how these guys vape, what they’re using, and what makes them stop.
The Big Concern
Dr. Stockings is worried, though. With the government making rules to stop youth vaping, some worried souls hooked on nicotine might switch to cigarettes if they’re easier to grab. That’s a big no-no.
Understanding the Habits
By digging into why these young guns vape, Dr. Stockings hopes they can help them say a firm “no” to vaping. They’re focusing on groups at risk, like Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids and those in remote areas.
Social Media Influence
But hey, it’s not just buddies nudging them towards vaping. Social media influencers are playing a big role too. Dr. Carmen Lim from the University of Queensland got $660,000 to dive into this. She wants to figure out how these online peeps are getting young folks into vaping and then find ways to protect them from falling into the trap.
The Sneaky Influence
Turns out, these social media posts have a lot of power. People are swayed by what they see online. Dr. Lim wants to peek into the content, understand what’s driving kids towards vaping, and then cook up some plans to stop it.
The Parent Angle
A study health by the University of Sydney and Cancer Council of NSW Daffodil Centre dropped a bombshell. Teens think vaping is safer than their folks do. And get this: if a parent’s ever smoked or vaped, the chances of a teen taking up vaping shoot up.
The Challenge Ahead
Dr. Lim’s got her hands full. She’s looking at all sorts of stuff that make kids vape—like where the stores are and how easy it is to grab a vape. But you know what’s tricky? The constant flood of pro-vaping stuff on social media. It’s like a roadblock in the fight against youth vaping.
Wrapping Up
So, the Aussie government’s putting in work to help kids stay away from vaping. It’s a bumpy ride, with peer pressure and social media throwing curveballs. But these researchers are in the game, trying to help young ones say “no” to that vape life.
