<i>‘Every Vape is a Hit to your Health’</i> : evaluation of an anti-vaping campaign in New South Wales, Australia

Introduction The ‘Every Vape is a Hit to your Health’ campaign aimed to address e-cigarette use among 14–24 years in New South Wales, Australia. This evaluation assessed the campaign’s media activity, recognition and impact. Methods Media activity was measured by the number of impressions delivered. An online evaluation survey of n=1901 people was used to measure campaign recognition, knowledge and attitudes about e-cigarette harms and intentions and behaviours related to e-cigarette use and cessation. Results The greatest number of impressions was achieved across social media channels, followed by Spotify and digital display advertising. The evaluation survey found that 64% of respondents recognised the campaign. People who recognised the campaign were more likely than non-recognisers to agree that ‘vaping is not safe’ (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.1, 95% CI 1.5 to 2.8). Among people who use e-cigarettes, campaign recognisers were significantly more likely to be seriously considering quitting compared with non-recognisers (aOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.5). They were also more likely to have made a quit attempt (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.8). Among those who did not use e-cigarettes, the majority (92%) did not intend to use e-cigarettes in the next 6 months, with no difference observed between campaign recognisers and non-recognisers. Conclusions The evaluation showed a positive association between campaign recognition and awareness of the harms of e-cigarettes among all respondents. Campaign recognition was also associated with increased quit intention and quit attempts among those who use e-cigarettes. These findings suggest that the campaign may have motivated e-cigarette cessation intentions and behaviours among young people.