Teaching about vaping
Many teachers tell us they want to discuss vaping with students but are unsure where to start.
The Don’t Get Sucked In website can be used as a starting point for classroom learning and discussion. The content has been designed to provide young people with age-appropriate information about vaping and answer some of the questions they commonly ask.
Whether you are looking for a short classroom activity, discussion prompts or information to support your own understanding, the resources below can help.
Start with the Youth section
The Youth section provides a structured introduction to vaping and can be explored independently by students or used as part of classroom learning.
Students can work through the following pages:
- What Is Vaping?
- What’s In A Vape?
- Why Do Vapes Have Flavours?
- How Can Vaping Affect Your Wellbeing?
- Thinking About Quitting?
- Quiz
Teachers may choose to have students explore the content individually, in pairs, or as part of a class discussion.
Discussion starters
The following questions can help encourage discussion and reflection.
What Did You Learn?
- What surprised you most?
- What is one thing you didn’t know before?
- Did anything challenge what you thought about vaping?
Why Do People Vape?
- Why do you think some young people vape?
- What makes vaping appealing to some people?
- What makes it hard for some people to stop?
Looking Ahead
- What could help young people avoid vaping?
- If someone wanted to stop vaping, what support might help?
- What advice would you give a friend who was thinking about vaping?
There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. The aim is to encourage discussion and explore different perspectives.
What young people want to know
Since 2022, we have spoken with more than 6,500 young people about vaping.
One thing we have learned is that young people have a lot of questions.
Some of the questions students have asked us include:
- What is actually in a vape?
- Why are there so many vape flavours?
- What does nicotine do to your body?
- Why do people vape?
- Why is it difficult for some people to stop?
- What happens when someone quits vaping?
Many of these questions are explored throughout the Youth section of the website. Others can be used as discussion starters to encourage further learning and conversation.
The questions students ask can provide a useful starting point for classroom discussions and help identify the topics they are most interested in exploring.
Additional resources
You may also find the following resources helpful: