BACKGROUND-AIM:
In Australia 30% of teens aged 14-17 have vaped, and there are emerging reports that vaping is beginning even younger. No evidence based vaping prevention programs exist in Australia for primary-school children (aged 10-12). To address these concerns, we are co-designing and evaluating a primary school adaptation of our secondary schools vaping prevention program that demonstrated a 65% reduction in odds of vaping at 12-months among 14–15-year-olds.

METHODS:
A pilot pre-post, single group trial across four schools in New South Wales (NSW), Australia will be conducted from April-December 2026 to assess the preliminary effects of a primary school vaping and smoking prevention program. Students (n = 300, aged 10-12 years) will participate in four cartoon lessons, and will complete surveys and qualitative interviews at baseline, post-intervention, and six-month follow-up.

RESULTS:
To date, 4 focus groups (n = 49 students) have been completed (age range: 9-12). All students were aware of e-cigarettes and had sound knowledge of their harms. Knowledge of tobacco cigarettes was much lower, with many believing e-cigarettes to be more harmful than tobacco. The students shared real-world anecdotes which were used to develop the program. The final intervention, named “OurFutures Vaping Prevention (Kids)” is a physical workbook comprising cartoon strip-style animations and interactive teacher-facilitated activities. The intervention emphasises drug refusal, assertive communication, and practical life skills.

CONCLUSIONS:
This is Australia’s first primary-school based vaping prevention program, based on the highly successful Our Futures Vaping prevention program. The pilot trial will commence in April with full results to follow. School-based tobacco prevention and health promotion among adolescents: Tobacco control and prevention strategies