"I don't know what you said to him but my son quit Vaping" NotEvenOnce Impacts Lives

It’s a rainy afternoon, I’m looking at my laptop screen, getting ready for a Parent Vaping Webinar later that night, when I receive an email from a school in sunny QLD I delivered to the previous 2 days “Thank you once again for your presentations at our school there has been a lot of conversations going on since you were here. We have had a parent ask to connect with you about what you delivered, is it ok to pass on your details?” This could go either way really couldn’t it? They either liked what they heard or hated it “Absolutely, please feel free to pass on my details.” I respond.

The next day whilst helping in our social enterprise, Hope Cafe, that helps train at-risk youth learn hospitality, my back pocket starts to vibrate with an incoming call. When I answer, it is the mum that had requested contact. “Hi, my son, year 12, was at a seminar you delivered this week and I would really like to know what you talked about in your seminar. He came home and wouldn’t stop talking about what you spoke to them about on Vaping.” she stated “He then went on to tell me that he has been Vaping and he wants to quit. I work in this space and I’ve been telling him for over two years about this, I suspected he may be Vaping, maybe it was the mum factor, but whatever you told him has impacted him so much he’s openly talking about it and wanting help.”

We discussed further what I had spoken to and I offered to send her a link to a Webinar recording of a Parent Session on Vaping I’d run recently. Working in the Alcohol and other Drug space she was very keen to see the physical schools presentation as she was finding it hard to locate programs she could present to her support groups in this area. We made arrangements for the next seminar I had in QLD to get her invited to, so she could observe for herself and potentially a colleague too.

What an encouragement! It shows the impact NotEvenOnce is having on the decision making and lives of young people all around Australia. We have now spoken to over 117,200 young people, with more coming through before the end of the year.

Fast forward a couple of months and I delivered to another school in QLD and they generously allowed the mum and her work colleague to attend a Vaping Seminar. At the end of the presentation I had a couple of students that wanted to talk about challenges they were facing, we were able to talk together and then they left the room.

I was able to meet this mum face to face and she enjoyed what she had seen. I asked after her son and she said “He is doing amazingly well. He actually had to end his relationship with his girlfriend because she wouldn’t quit vaping and he just doesn’t want to be around it any more. He jumps on a treadmill and does 5 min power runs when he feels the cravings start and gets through them. He says he’s feeling healthier and breathing is better. You are responsible for this, if you hadn’t spoken that day to his school, we’d never have known.”

It’s a privilege being able to present NotEvenOnce in schools. We have whole suites of seminars available from primary school, to high school grades 7-12 and then parents, staff, professionals and communities. Vaping is by far the most asked for deliveries, there are truly massive issues with this right throughout Australia. We know of school children in Grade 1 vaping! It’s being used as currency amongst our young people, creating gang culture within schools, all driven by a powerful industry, aimed at our children, creating addiction for profit at significant costs.

Health professionals are seeing cases right now in hospitals and surgeries with oesophagus, stomach, lung, heart, mouth/gum/teeth, mental health damage that for many is absolutely irreversible. At what cost are companies, local individuals and corner stores making their profits in this area. Vaping is not safe and a whole generation is going to pay the price for financial greed.

There’s hope though, education absolutely works. Grassroot actions, simply asking your children where other children are getting their vapes from. You might be very surprised that it’s other kids selling them after parents have bought them online, your local deli selling under the counter or on Marketplace in Facebook, just look up “Fruity” in your local area and see the dealers pop up. You can make a difference in this space. You can report them to local police, go and speak to the parents/shop owners, speak to your local MP. Make it so uncomfortable that they move on or stop. But most of all you can get educated yourself, ASAP, equipped to have conversations.