Overview

• The Lancet-published Matilda Centre trial found students in the OurFutures program were 65% less likely to vape a year after completing the curriculum compared with standard health education.
• The federal government has approved national rollout and funding for the interactive OurFutures curriculum through 2028, featuring cartoon narratives and quizzes to teach refusal skills.
• Federal Health Minister Mark Butler disputes Roy Morgan’s recent survey linking the 2024 vape bans to higher youth smoking, citing government data showing concurrent declines in teen vaping and smoking.
• Official figures show vaping rates among Australian 15-year-olds have fallen by more than one-third since 2023 and the share of never-vapers aged 14–17 has reached 85%.
• A UK study in Tobacco Control reports that 33% of current teen vapers go on to smoke cigarettes compared with just 1.5% of never-vapers, underscoring gateway concerns.