Clearing the Air: When One Young Person Speaks, Many Listen
This past week, our NotEvenOnce team was on the road again, delivering five 'Clearing the Air' vaping education seminars across schools in Tasmania and Victoria. Each session was met with packed rooms of students—some curious, some skeptical, some clearly wrestling with what they’ve seen or experienced among their peers.
But one particular moment stood out.
After a seminar, a young person quietly approached the presenter. They didn’t want to challenge the facts or argue a point. Instead, they asked—“What can I do to help my brother?” Their sibling was caught up in substance use and this young person was desperate to support them but didn’t know where to start.
It was more than a question. It was a moment of vulnerability, courage, and care—the kind that can shift the direction of a family, not just a single life.
We had just spent the session unpacking the science of nicotine addiction, the marketing traps young people are falling into and the long-term effects of vaping on mental and physical health. But the most powerful takeaway wasn’t in a statistic. It was in a realisation: I can make a difference.
From Education to Empowerment
That’s what Clearing the Air is about. It’s not just a seminar. It’s a safe, non-judgmental space where students can ask honest questions, challenge what they’ve heard and start thinking for themselves. We blend research-backed facts with real-life stories, compassion and plenty of space to reflect.
And it’s working.
Reaching Over 180,000 Young Lives
Since launching NotEvenOnce, we’ve now reached over 180,000 young people with our school seminars across Tasmania and beyond. That number represents classrooms full of stories—some heartbreaking, some hopeful, all important.
In just this past week alone, conversations during and after our sessions touched on:
Peer pressure to vape and how to respond without losing friendships
The "harmless" myth of disposable vapes
Family members struggling with smoking or drug use
Wanting to stop but not knowing how to quit
Every question asked reminds us that while the headlines might talk about “a vaping crisis,” behind every vape is a real person looking for truth, support and a way forward.
“What Can I Do to Help?”
We’re still thinking about that young person’s question. It encapsulates the heart of what NotEvenOnce aims to do—raise awareness and equip young people to act. Whether that’s helping a friend, saying no with confidence or choosing not to start, we believe in the power of youth when they are informed and empowered.
And we believe in the power of prevention—the quiet but life-altering work of planting seeds before crisis takes hold.
Thank you to every school that hosted us this week, to every teacher who champions early education and to every donor who helps us reach another student, another family, another future.
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Together, we’re not just clearing the air—we’re changing lives.