Following its Break The Vape Challenge, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is looking to further work with local school boards to help students quit vaping.
Earlier this year, the Break The Vape Challenge invited Windsor-Essex County students in grades six to 12 to create a public service announcement to raise awareness about the dangers of vaping.
27 schools participated and 98 videos were submitted with the health unit offering prizes for the top voted videos and schools with the highest participation.
Ashley Kirby, health promotion specialist, WECHU says they need different strategies to help youth quit vaping.
"We're hoping to work with school boards and look at creating more of a progressive enforcement approach. Not just using discipline, but also using a cessation and awareness component, allowing students to become better aware of cessation programs available as well as reasons to possibly quit."
Last month, Ontario's education minister Stephen Lecce announced that vaping will be banned in all schools, adding students will be required to hand over any vapes or cigarettes they're caught carrying and school staff will notify parents in those circumstances.
Kirby says the Break The Vape Challenge could continue to have an impact on prevention.
"I think it's a good point of messaging to let kids better understand the dangers of vaping and what types of products they're using and putting into their bodies. So I think could be part of a prevention in using these products."
She says they hope to do the challenge again next year.
"Currently we have a social media campaign running on Facebook, Instagram as well as YouTube ads. We're also hoping to continue to show them to show them to students in our vaping prevention pieces."
Resources to quit vaping are available by clicking here: https://www.wechu.org/school-health/substance-use/smoking-and-vaping#students.