Vaping Clearing the Air - Professional Development with CPD Certificate

Let's dive into the world of teens and vaping, debunk myths, and get professional insights working with teen on this trending topic!

2-Hour Professional Development for Counsellors, Educators & Youth Professionals

Join Azelene Williams—accredited Social Worker, Counsellor, and lived-experience presenter—for a trauma-informed professional development session exploring youth vaping, nicotine addiction, and practical pathways for early intervention and support.

This evidence-informed training provides a comprehensive understanding of how vaping works, why young people are particularly vulnerable, and how professionals can respond with confidence, compassion, and clinically grounded strategies.

What will be covered

Foundations of Vaping and Addiction

• What vaping is and how it works
• Anatomy of e-cigarettes and vaping devices
• Nicotine and the neurobiology of addiction
• Adolescent brain development and heightened vulnerability
• Withdrawal, cravings, and the stages of nicotine dependence

Youth Risk Landscape

• How the vaping industry targets young people
• Advertising, branding, and social media influence
• Where and how teens access vaping products
• Peer pressure, identity formation, and social norms
• Key factors that attract young people to vaping

Trauma, Mental Health, and Co-Occurring Risk

• Trauma-driven addiction in adolescents
• The role of coping, regulation, and unmet emotional needs
• Other addictive substances and behaviours to monitor
• Cultural, family, and environmental influences on substance use

Health and Safety Impacts

• Respiratory harm and comparisons with lung disease
• Acute risks, device malfunction, and vape explosions
• Emerging evidence and long-term health concerns

Identification, Myths, and Early Response

• Fact versus fiction: common misconceptions about vaping
• Signs a young person may be vaping
• Trauma-informed screening and supportive conversations
• Reducing shame, resistance, and disengagement

Intervention, Support, and Prevention

• Evidence-based approaches to quitting nicotine
• Supporting withdrawal, cravings, and relapse prevention
• Brief intervention tools professionals can use immediately
• Practical strategies for counsellors, educators, and parents
• School policy, legislation, and duty of care
• Referral pathways, support services, and whole-school prevention

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand the biological, psychological, and social drivers of youth vaping
• Recognise early warning signs and stages of nicotine dependence
• Apply trauma-informed, non-shaming engagement strategies
• Implement brief, practical interventions to support behaviour change
• Strengthen prevention, referral, and support pathways within their setting

This professional development session combines clinical knowledge, lived experience, and practical application, equipping participants with tools they can immediately integrate into their work with young people.

Live online session with opportunity for questions and discussion.