In response to the escalating issue of vaping in youth, the Mid and North Coast HealthPathways team developed the Vaping in Youth pathway to assist primary health practitioners navigate the problem with their patients.
HealthPathways Mid and North Coast tackles youth vaping with state-first pathway
E-cigarette use is increasing in all age groups across Australia, but most rapidly in young people. From 2021 to 2022 in NSW, 43% of 16 to 24-year-olds had used an e-cigarette, while 17% were current (daily or occasional) users.
Liquids used in vaping may contain nicotine, flavourings, and other chemicals, exposing e-cigarette users to substances which may be toxic or carcinogenic. E-cigarettes may contain nicotine even if labelled ‘nicotine free’, and they often contain much higher concentrations of nicotine than tobacco cigarettes, and so have a greater potential for dependence.
HealthPathways clinical editor Dr Grace Leung was tasked with developing the pathway for the New South Wales HealthPathways programme. She says there is a need for increased awareness and proactive enquiry.
“It is very rare that somebody would actually come into a GP, for example, and say ‘I’ve got a problem with vaping’, or ‘My kid has a problem with vaping... if there is a presentation, it would be more likely for behavioural-type problems, sleep problems, anxiety, or depression. It’s not until you dig a bit deeper that you realise that vaping is often the root of the problem. We’re good at asking [young people] about smoking and drugs, but if you are not accustomed to specifically asking about vaping, you might not mention it.”
The state-first Vaping in Youth pathway includes information about the unknown composition of many vaping products, which may lead to potential health risks. The pathway is not just a local solution but a model for health practitioners across the entire state.
Behind the scenes
Meet a key team member who helped facilitate the Vaping in Youth pathway.
Meet Breffni
Kia ora, I'm Breffni Naylor, a team lead at Streamliners. I collaborate with HealthPathways programme teams to develop content for HealthPathways, and I also support our writers to do their job to the best of their abilities.
Before I was a team lead, I was a technical writer, working with clinical editors to develop care pathways used and shared in health systems around the globe. During this time, I had the opportunity to work with the Mid and North Coast HealthPathways team on the Vaping in Youth pathway. This was a fulfilling task as this state-wide pathway was the first of it's kind. Once the pathway was complete, it meant clinicians across NSW had peer-reviewed guidance for supporting and managing a young patient with their vaping habit. It’s satisfying to know my efforts to collaborate with the lead clinical editor on the project, problem-solve, and implement plain language mean that patients will receive the right care at the right time.
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