An Australian vaping education program being rolled out in schools nationally has been hailed as one of the most successful school-based strategies in the world for curbing youth e-cigarette use in a study published today in the Lancet Public Health .
Led by Dr Lauren Gardner and Professor Nicola Newton from the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney - the Vaping Prevention Program was found to reduce the likelihood of adolescent vaping by 65 percent a year after completing the program, compared to students who received standard health education.
"Adolescents who vape are being exposed to harmful and addictive chemicals during critical stages of brain development," said Dr Lauren Gardner , first author of the study and Program Lead of School-Based Health Interventions at the Matilda Centre.
"This can affect the brain's reward pathway and increase the risk of addiction to both nicotine and other substances."
Prevention is our best shot at breaking the cycle of addiction, before it starts.
Dr Lauren Gardner
"Prevention is our best shot at breaking the cycle of addiction, before it starts."
Dr Lauren Gardner
Dr Gardner added that there was still a massive amount of work to do to curb nicotine use among young people and stop vaping in its tracks.
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"Rates of vaping among young people remain unacceptably high. Vapes can contain very high concentrations of nicotine, and vaping is an established risk factor for tobacco smoking.
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"Prevention is our best shot at breaking the cycle of addiction, before it starts."
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Findings from the study showed that the digital, interactive, evidence-based Our Futures Institute Vaping Prevention Program increases vaping-related knowledge and equips young people with the real-world refusal skills to say no when it matters most.
More than 80 percent of students rated the program positively and felt the skills and information they learned would help them in the future. Almost 90 percent of teachers rated the program positively.
"The OurFutures Vaping Prevention Program is the only school-based program in Australia, and one of only a few in the world, that is proven to reduce students' likelihood of vaping," Dr Gardner added.
Ken Wallace, CEO of Our Futures Institute, the University of Sydney spin-out rolling out the program with the support from the Australian Government's Department of Health and Ageing, said: "Our research proves that when you give students the right tools, they make healthier choices," Wallace said.
"Giving young people the tools to resist Big Tobacco's predatory tactics is what world-leading public health action looks like - combining tough enforcement with proven prevention programs to protect our children's future."
Dr Gardner added that there was still a massive amount of work to do to curb nicotine use among young people and stop vaping in its tracks.
"Rates of vaping among young people remain unacceptably high. Vapes can contain very high concentrations of nicotine, and vaping is an established risk factor for tobacco smoking.
"Prevention is our best shot at breaking the cycle of addiction, before it starts."
DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00145-8
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Declaration: Lauren Gardner, Nicola Newton, Maree Teesson, Amy-Leigh Rowe, Emily Stockings, and Katrina Champion were the developers of the OurFutures Vaping program, which has been commercialised by the University of Sydney and is being distributed through the not-for-profit organisation, Our Futures Institute. Nicola Newton and Maree Teesson are non-executive directors of Our Futures Institute.
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The OurFutures Vaping Study was funded by the MRFF (APP2023130) and the Australian NHMRC via Fellowships (APP2033054 and APP2017346).
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Lead image: Licensed from Adobe Stock
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Research: Gardner L, Newton N, et al, ' The OurFutures Vaping eHealth intervention to prevent e-cigarette use among adolescent students in Australia: A cluster randomised controlled trial ,' The Lancet Public Health, July 2025.
DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00145-8
Declaration: Lauren Gardner, Nicola Newton, Maree Teesson, Amy-Leigh Rowe, Emily Stockings, and Katrina Champion were the developers of the OurFutures Vaping program, which has been commercialised by the University of Sydney and is being distributed through the not-for-profit organisation, Our Futures Institute. Nicola Newton and Maree Teesson are non-executive directors of Our Futures Institute.
The OurFutures Vaping Study was funded by the MRFF (APP2023130) and the Australian NHMRC via Fellowships (APP2033054 and APP2017346).
Lead image: Licensed from Adobe Stock
