Working Life: Concern about number of youngsters vaping

Edward Murphy, project manager, HSE Tobacco Free Ireland Programme

Edward Murphy, project manager, HSE Tobacco Free Ireland Programme. Picture: Damien Eagers

9am

Every Monday morning, we have a team call where we take stock of work completed the previous week and set our work plan for the week ahead. Seven of us work together on the Tobacco Free Ireland National Team.

10am

I have a call with the Global Network for Tobacco Free Healthcare Services, an international organisation with members from European countries, China, and Australia. We’re in the process of redeveloping the network’s website and we discuss changes we want to make to content. The website designer shows us the new look of the website. We hope to have it live by summer.

11.30am

About 300 people attend a webinar hosted by the Tobacco Programme for anyone with an interest in tobacco control. We provide updates on several areas of work. This includes the QUIT campaign and how the recent offer of providing everyone who uses an HSE stop-smoking service with free nicotine replacement therapy is making a real difference in helping people to quit smoking successfully. I am speaking at the webinar about e-cigarettes and resources the team has produced to give the public information about these products. We take questions from the audience. It’s obvious there are concerns from parents and teachers about the number of youngsters vaping. We intend to work on a vaping prevention campaign in 2025.

2pm

A parliamentary question from a TD lands in my inbox asking about the total funding provided for stop-smoking services for the last decade. I keep records of all spending, but I need to contact colleagues in HSE communications and environmental health about other funding to provide an accurate breakdown.

4pm

I read a research proposal from a university that we are about to begin collaborative work with. This research will examine nicotine use and attitudes of young people and adults who vape, use recreational nicotine or combine these with regular tobacco. The findings will help inform a campaign to prevent the uptake of vaping, recreational nicotine use, subsequent tobacco use, and nicotine addiction.

5.30pm

I drive to a friend’s house, and we head on a seven-mile run (in the dark, so head torches on). We’ve recently started doing races with the Irish Mountain Running Association, so we pick a hilly route.

8pm

Home for a quick dinner and some TV with my wife before getting to bed around 10pm.