Supporting Young People to Quit Vaping

Support Young People to Quit Vaping

E-cigarettes, or ‘vapes’, are not safe for young people. They come in many shapes and sizes and can be hard to spot as they can look like everyday items including highlighters, pens or USB memory sticks.

Key vaping facts:

  • Many vapes contain nicotine. Nicotine can cause long-lasting negative effects on young people’s brain development, including impaired learning ability and altered mood, and can increase the risk of depression and anxiety.
  • Vapes can contain the same harmful chemicals found in cleaning products, nail polish remover, weed killer and bug spray, which can lead to serious lung diseases.
  • Young people who vape are 3 times as likely to take up smoking cigarettes.

We are urging you to talk with parents, carers and young people about the hidden impacts of vapes. We have gathered some existing resources that can help you promote quitting vaping among young people, which you can find below:

NSW Health – Fact sheets, Posters and Social media tiles
NSW Health – Guide to Support Young People to Quit E-Cigarettes
WNSWLHD – Webinars
Office of the Advocate for Children & Young People – Young people’s perspectives on vaping in 2023 report
Sydney Children's Hospitals Network – KidsQuite Smoking Cessation e-learning module
Cancer Council WA – 'Clear the Air' Campaign


Helping Mob Live Healthy and Prevent Cancer Toolkit

The Cancer Institute NSW’s new Helping Mob Live Healthy and Prevent Cancer toolkit is a free online resource that provides culturally tailored, strengths-based information on cancer screening and prevention for the Aboriginal health workforce.

The toolkit features:

  • cancer screening information – breast, cervical and bowel cancer screening + tips on testing for other cancers
  • cancer prevention tips about healthy living and being smoke- and vape-free
  • social and emotional wellbeing information and links to trusted resources and support services
  • downloadable resources which can be used to support yarns with your clients about the benefits of taking part in cancer screening and healthy living. They include tailored checklists for men’s and women’s business and templates to support local promotion of screening and prevention programs
  • a resource directory featuring links to a range of tailored cancer screening and healthy living resources from trusted Australian health and cancer organisations.

All resources have been developed in consultation with Aboriginal health organisations, workers and community members.

Please explore the toolkit and help spread the word by sharing it with your networks.

For more information, please contact CINSW-BowelScreening@health.nsw.gov.au

View toolkit

 Emergency Preparedness for businesses

No one can predict when an emergency is going to take place.

Having a pre-prepared plan is the best way to respond to an emergency before it happens. Your plans will help you and your staff in the event of an emergency.

Use these tips and resources to prepare your business for an emergency situation - before it happens.

Business emergency planning tools

SafeWork Australia: Emergency plans fact sheet

SafeWork Australia: Emergency plan template

Develop an emergency management plan

Emergency management plan template

Prepare your business for an emergency

NSW State Emergency Service: Emergency business continuity plan

Emergency management – take action checklist

Other resources:

Be ready for an emergency evacuation

Emergency survival kit


2023 Awareness Days Calendar

We’ve put together an awareness days calendar to highlight important days and events which you may wish to celebrate or participate in within your Practice.

You can download the calendar for 2023 below:

Download 2023 Calendar

 Immunisation
What are the changes? Details at NSW Health: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/schedule-changes.aspx

Australian Immunisation Handbook

National Immunisation Catch-up Calculator

The National Immunisation Catch-up Calculator (NICC) is now available and is based on the Australian National Immunisation Program (NIP) recommendations for Australian immunisation schedules. 

The Calculator does not provide recommendations for individuals with Medical at Risk conditions where additional boosters may be recommended.

Users should always exercise their own independent skill or judgment or seek additional professional advice before relying on the information provided for clinical decision making.

The Calculator can be accessed via the Australian Immunisation Handbook website.

Vaccine Cold Chain Management


Cold Chain Breach

  1. Isolate / quarantine vaccines – keep refrigerated and do not use
  2. Contact your local public health unit (PHU) on 1300 066 055
  3. Complete the Cold Chain Breach Reporting Form and email to PHU; include data logger readings and the chart of min/max monitoring (am & pm).
Immunisation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

National Immunisation Program for all Indigenous people (NIP – funded vaccines) from 1 July 2020

https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/06/national-immunisation-program-schedule-for-all-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-people.pdf

 ATAGI clinical advice on changes to vaccine recommendations and funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from 1 July 2020 (attached). Changes relate to:

  1. Meningococcal B (Men B) vaccine (Bexsero®)
  2. Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) vaccine (Nimenrix®)
  3. 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (13vPCV, Prevenar 13®)
  4. 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (23vPPV, Pneumovax 23®)

https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/atagi-clinical-advice-on-vaccination-recommendations-for-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-people-from-1-july-2020


PRODA AIR

Resources

Emergency Preparedness

Immunisation Education and CPD online modules

Q Fever

Yellow Fever

Tuberculosis

PIP Quality Improvement Measures 

PEN CS Training Guide:

https://www.pencs.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Pen-CS-PIP-QI-Training-Guide-2019-1.pdf

 

 To be eligible to receive a PIP QI payment general practices must:

  • be eligible to claim PIPs – be accredited or registered for accreditation
  • register for the PIP QI Incentive through Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) from 1 August 2019
  • electronically submit data to Western NSW Primary Health Network – WNSW PHN has elected to use PEN CAT tool for practices to submit data
  • undertake continuous quality improvement activities in partnership with WNSW PHN

 

Improvement Measures – Influenza Immunisation PEN CS Recipes

PEN CS Webinars

https://www.pencs.com.au/support/webinars/

 Practice Management
 Quality Health Information Program