SYDNEY, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A campaign to persuade young people to stop vaping has been launched in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW).
Vaping in Australia, like in many countries in recent years, has become fashionable among a growing number of teenagers and young adults who become addicted to inhaling flavoured vapor created from a variety of potent chemical concoctions.
Supporters of the trend believe that breathing in the vapor from electronic-cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is a healthier option than puffing on traditional tobacco "cancer sticks" as they are commonly called by their detractors.
Among those who have taken up the habit is university student Ryan who told Xinhua on Thursday that he first took up vaping as a way to quit cigarettes.
"It definitely feels healthier than smoking, you don't smell bad, you can vape more conveniently in any space," he said.
Such sentiments, however, don't gain traction with authorities such as NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard, who launched the anti-vaping campaign this week.
"A respiratory researcher once told me that e-vaping liquids have chemicals that are similar to antifreeze, with 500 different flavours to attract kids," Hazzard said. "It makes it pretty obvious as to the harm it can cause to youngsters' lungs."
A key component of the campaign is the "Get the Facts - Vaping Toolkit" which is designed to equip educators and health professionals with facts and figures to have informed conversations with high school-aged children about the harmful long-term effects of their habit.
The toolkit, for example, explains that many vapes contain nicotine, some at extremely high concentrations, and can contain ingredients including from cleaning products, nail polish removers and weed killers.
The motivation behind the campaign has won the support of public health experts such as University of Sydney Associate Professor Becky Freeman who told Xinhua on Thursday that it was a "step in the right direction".
"It is essential that parents, teachers, and students receive accurate and trusted information about the harms of vaping," Freeman said, adding that such information needed to be accompanied by "strong regulation that prevented young people from so easily accessing vapes".
In NSW, it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to people aged under 18 with individual sellers facing fines of up to 11,000 Australian dollars (about 8,020 U.S. dollars) while businesses can be fined up to 55,000 Australian dollars (about 40,105 U.S. dollars) for first offences.
Meanwhile, for young people such as Ryan, it still might take more than a glossy toolkit to persuade them to finally douse their e-cigarettes.
"But it's hard going to events where lots of people you know will have vapes," said Ryan who has been trying to quit for several months.
"There is still some stigma around it and I would prefer not to be reliant on something." ■