00:02Quitting vaping has been a long journey for Cameron Owens-Gayle.
00:06The 28-year-old has kept the habit for the last decade.
00:09But when he started having difficulty breathing, he knew it was time to give up for good.
00:14Sharp pain in my chest when I breathe sometimes, not all the time.
00:17And then just like persistent coughs, like a chest infection that will go on for too long, far too long.
00:23Despite unregulated vapes being illegal since 2024,
00:26he says he can still easily access a vape and use it anywhere.
00:31It's the ability for you to smoke it anywhere at any time that makes it really dangerous.
00:35Because then there's no separation.
00:37There's no need to step outside the pub and have a ciggy because there's no smoking indoor laws.
00:40You can just get away with it in the bathroom.
00:43E-cigarettes were introduced to help people quit smoking.
00:46But data shows the most common reasons young people are vaping are out of curiosity
00:50or because they think it tastes better.
00:52Nurse practitioner Diane Bowden says the reasons young people vape are complex.
00:58It could just be a fact that they've started doing it because of peer group pressure
01:02and now they're addicted.
01:04But there is definitely that element that are using vapes for stress management, anxiety, depression.
01:12She works at Canberra's first dedicated vaping support service, Nicotine Knockout,
01:18and says young people are motivated to quit and are joining the program.
01:22Just having a program in place that is specifically designed for young people
01:27and looking at all aspects of why they're vaping, not just the addiction side of it,
01:32I think just moving forward it will just continue to grow.
01:35A small step forward in tackling a growing health problem.
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