The Latrobe Valley is no longer the smoking capital of the Victoria region, but experts fear that the progress made could be lost with the increase in vaping, especially among young people.
Key points:
- Quit Victoria says vaporizing can cause significant lung damage
- The organization says e-cigarettes may seem safer than they seem
- A community service urges people to support a push for more regulation
Vapors, or electronic cigarettes, are electronic containers filled with liquid aromas and nicotine.
Nicotine-free vapors can be purchased over the counter at most gas stations.
Victoria director Sarah White said her organization was proud of the Latrobe Valley community for reducing smoking rates.
In Victoria, 12% of the population smokes cigarettes daily.
According to the Victorian Health Survey updated in February, 16% of Latrobe Valley residents smoked daily.
Although recording rates above the state average, the Latrobe Valley was no longer at the top of the regional smoking capitals, which include Central Goldfields (22%), Moira Shire (21.4%) and Yarriambiack (20%). , 8%).
Victoria director Sarah White fears the vapeo is hurting improvements in the Latrobe Valley smoking rate. (Provided by: Sarah White)
Vaping could do a good job
Dr. White said she was concerned that the vaporization trend would outweigh the good work the service providers had done.
“The Latrobe Valley was traditionally much higher than other parts of Victoria [for smoking]but what we are seeing is that smoking rates in the Latrobe Valley are going down, ”he said.
“It’s a massive win for both people across the state and Latrobe, who has been doing a great job.
“I think the vaporizer has the potential to turn decades of success, especially in the Latrobe Valley region.”
Disposable vapors that contain enough liquid nicotine for 1,200 puffs usually cost about $ 30 and, while illegal, can be purchased at some Gippsland stores over the counter.
Reusable vapors can also be purchased for free and users usually buy liquid nicotine spares online and have no problem crossing the border.
There are no safety rules that force e-cigarette companies to consider and Dr. White said labeling cannot be trusted.
“Like a breaking windshield”
Because steaming is a relatively new practice, the long-term health ramifications are unknown, but so far doctors are seeing people with inflammation of the lungs and airways, known as lung injury.
“For some people, when you look at it on an x-ray, it looks like a windshield is breaking,” Dr. White said.
“It’s a scar tissue that’s very irritating over time.”
Vaping is harder to detect than smoking because it doesn’t leave a lingering odor on people’s air or clothes.
Dr. White said this increased the risk because parents and adults could illegally vaporize around children and assume it was harmless.
“Electronic cigarettes can remove heavy metals and fine particles from the inside of the device, not to mention second-hand aerosols,” he said.
“We believe people are inhaling a lot more of these chemicals and fine particles into their lungs, because they are continuously vaporizing throughout the day.”
Dustin Hodge vaporizes, but understands that it’s not good for his health. (Supplied by: Dustin Hodge)
‘No illusions’
Dustin Hodge lives in Traralgon, east of Melbourne, and two years ago switched from cigarettes to vaping.
He thought it would help him quit smoking.
“I identified that the cost wasn’t sustainable, to the point that it was more than a mortgage, but I keep a pretty active social life and I guess I didn’t want to give up before I could,” he said.
“[Vaping] it has provided me with a path where I had yet to do the hard part, so to speak, and it is certainly something I will work on in the future.
“I have no illusions. I don’t think it’s great for you.”
Hodge uses a rechargeable device and liquid nicotine is obtained from New Zealand.
He said he knew it was illegal, but had not yet seen much repression.
“At the moment it doesn’t look like it’s being enforced, for one reason or another,” Hodge said.
He believed that the low cost of the product was “the selling point” and the taste was appealing to young people.
“Teenagers can try it and not stick their faces in it because it’s a shame,” Hodge said.
“You can taste anything you want.”
It calls for more regulation
Jonathan Fahey was instrumental in starting the Smoking Cessation Clinic at Latrobe Community Health Service, one of the service providers responsible for reducing smoking rates in the Latrobe Valley.
He encouraged community members to write to their local members of parliament to call for more regulation of e-cigarettes.
Fahey said parenting was the key.
“Don’t get mad,” he said.
“Don’t be embarrassed, because the pressure from peers in this age group is very strong.
“You want to maintain that relationship.”
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Posted 22 hours 22 hours ago Friday, June 24, 2022 at 10:57 PM, updated 22 hours ago Friday, June 24, 2022 at 11:04 PM