Key points
- Almost half of Australia's anti-vaping campaigns had 'vague' or no guidance to direct behaviour change.
- Education messages do not always match what the evidence recommends.
- The findings could help governments, health organisations and community groups design stronger future anti-vaping campaigns.
Vaping education campaigns in Australia may be missing key opportunities to support behaviour change, University of Queensland research has found.
A review of publicly available vaping media campaigns launched in Australia before May 2025 found almost half had 'vague' or no guidance to direct behaviour change.
Study lead PhD candidate Jiaxin Li from UQ's National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research , said while education campaigns were central to Australia's response to vaping, messages did not always match what the evidence recommended.
"Until now, little has been known about what Australians are being told about vaping and how these messages are framed,'' Ms Li said.
"Our content characterisation found campaigns do well in warning about the harms of vaping, mostly by highlighting health risks, nicotine addiction and exposure to harmful chemicals.
"But some campaigns stopped short of giving audiences clear, culturally relevant steps to prevent vaping or support quitting.''
The study, which examined all 24 publicly available vaping education campaigns launched in Australia between May 2021 and May 2025, also found more than half portrayed e-cigarettes as equally or more harmful or addictive than combustible cigarettes and framed vaping as a 'gateway to smoking'.
However, Ms Li said suggestions that vaping was just as harmful as smoking may unintentionally make smoking seem less risky to young people and lead them to view smoking as an inevitable next step.
The study documented key features of campaigns including message themes, behavioural guidance, and customising messages for a specific cultural group.
Campaign themes included health effects, nicotine addiction, harmful chemicals, social norms, flavours, environmental impact, industry manipulation and financial impact.
Ms Li said the findings could be used to help governments, health organisations and community groups design stronger future education campaigns.
"Youth vaping is a major concern for families, schools and communities in Australia, and campaigns are one of the main ways governments and health organisations respond,'' she said.
"This research provides a detailed picture of current vaping education campaigns in Australia and examines whether their messages reflect recommended ways to help reduce youth vaping, especially as young people grow up in increasingly diverse and digital environments.''
Ms Li said vaping campaigns could place greater emphasis on short-term consequences that matter to young people, such as social pressure, cost, industry manipulation, effects on everyday wellbeing.
"Clearer behavioural guidance such as how to refuse a vape and how to manage cravings could be provided, as well as how parents, schools and communities can talk with young people about vaping.''
Read the research in Tobacco Control.
