The Cancer Institute NSW has rolled out a new behaviour change campaign aimed at the 14 to 24-year-old demographic, in partnership with Bastion Agency.

The campaign, dubbed 'Every vape is a hit to your health', features real-life stories from young individuals who have vaped and subsequently experienced health consequences. Messaging involves respiratory doctors sharing medical evidence and their professional experience of vapes causing serious health problems. The strategy behind the campaign was informed by a robust and rigorously evidenced behaviour change model for vaping cessation, the pair said.

Cancer Screening and Prevention, Cancer Institute NSW marketing director, social marketing and campaigns screening and prevention, Matt Clarke, expressed his concern about the growing evidence of the harms caused by vaping.

“The evidence of the harms vaping is causing is continuing to grow and is very concerning. Vapes are highly addictive, often contain nicotine and can cause lung damage and breathing problems, with some of the toxic chemicals found in vapes known to cause cancer,” Clarke said.

He further highlighted the shocking revelations from the young people involved in the campaign. “Hearing first-hand from the young people in the campaign, how much vaping had a hold on them and how it affected their health was really shocking. This behaviour change campaign aims to contribute to countering this growing issue by highlighting the health harms through a peer-to-peer approach”.

The campaign is being broadcast across Cinema, OLV, digital display, OOH, native articles, and social media. Credits for the campaign include individuals from Cancer Institute NSW, Bastion Agency, OMD, Eight, Bastion Make, Electric Sheep, and Nicholas Keate for music composition.

Group CCO Bastion, Simon Langley, spoke about the responsibility they felt in delivering a campaign that could make a significant impact.

“This is a problem so concerning that we felt a huge responsibility on our shoulders to deliver a campaign that is going to make a truly significant impact. We believe this idea is the right one to do and research shows it is primed to hit hard and change behaviour," he said.