Vaping among young people: a worrying trend

Recent research by Motivaction shows that a quarter of young people aged 12 to 16 have vaped at least once, and that nearly one in three young people who vape do so daily. Vaping is not harmless: it is toxic, disrupts brain development and is highly addictive. This is also evident from the research: 38% of the 12- to 16-year-olds who vape in this study say they are addicted to vaping.

Schools play an important role in countering this trend. In addition to enforcing the smoking and vaping ban on school premises, proper education is essential to help young people make informed choices for a healthy lifestyle.

The ‘No to vaping’ campaign aims to inform parents about the harmful effects of vaping, encourage them to discuss this with their children in a timely manner and say no to vaping together. The campaign is part of the Action Plan against vaping led by State Secretary Vincent Karremans (Youth, Prevention and Sport). The Action Plan focuses on three areas: combating illegal trade, preventing young people from starting to vape, and encouraging people to quit vaping while supporting vapers in doing so. Among other things, the Action Plan provides additional powers and funding for the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority to combat the growing illegal trade.

Materials for schools

On the website neetegenvapen.nl, you will find an online toolkit including:

  • Short videos
  • Campaign visuals
  • Sample texts for newsletters or social media
  • Conversation tips for talking to students
  • The option to request a personalised poster via: [email protected]

The campaign runs until and including 8 June and will resume in the autumn. The message will also be distributed via radio, social media and the channels of Dokters Vandaag.

National parents’ evening in September

In collaboration with the Trimbos Institute, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport will organise a national online parents’ evening about vaping in September. The date will be announced soon. Schools can inform parents about this before the summer holidays. Later this year, a campaign aimed at young people will also follow.