Smoking and Vaping for early childhood services
It’s important that children are protected from the serious health risks of smoking and vaping.
This health and wellbeing priority focuses on creating smoke-free and vape-free environments and developing health literacy and protective behaviours as part of a whole-service approach to smoking and vaping prevention and cessation.
This priority helps to bring together existing smoking and vaping actions.
Smoking and Vaping Action Table
This action table gives an example of how the Healthy Places Framework can be applied to Smoking and Vaping in services.
Action area | Leadership and Commitment | Teaching & Learning | Physical Environment | Culture | Staff Wellbeing | Families & Community Engagement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Goal | There is strong leadership support and a shared commitment to a whole-service approach to smoking and vaping prevention. | Educators are supported to promote children’s health and safety by addressing incidental smoking and vaping discussions in a developmentally appropriate way. | The built and natural environment supports a smoke- and vape- free service. | The service fosters attitudes, behaviours and values that support a smoke- and vape-free environment. | Staff have access to smoking and vaping prevention and cessation resources and support. | The service engages, partners and collaborates with families and community organisations to support smoke- and vape-free activities. |
Example Actions | Demonstrate leadership’s commitment to a whole-service approach to smoking and vaping prevention. Communicate the service’s commitment to smoking and vaping prevention with the service community. | Respond to children’s questions relating to smoking and vaping in a supportive and nonjudgmental way. | Display smoke- and vape-free signage that can be easily seen and understood by the whole-service community. Ensure any service event held on or off the service’s premises is smoke- and vape-free. | Encourage staff, families and visitors to not smoke or vape in sight of children. Require staff who smoke or vape to take appropriate hygiene measures after use. | Share evidence-based, culturally-appropriate and accessible information about smoking and vaping, including access to support services as required. | Share evidence-based, culturally-appropriate and accessible information with families about smoking and vaping prevention, including access to support services. Engage with relevant health services and community organisations to support smoking and vaping prevention. |
Join today to see the full list of suggested actions, examples in practice and links to supporting programs and resources as outlined in the Smoking and Vaping Whole-Service Action Guide.
The health and wellbeing priorities
The Healthy Places Framework helps early childhood services support all health and wellbeing priorities through a set of action guides. Six health and wellbeing priorities areas each have their own guide, and a flexible action guide is also available for any health area while still following the Framework.
