Vapen #JouwKeuze has been awarded the 2026 European Lung Foundation (ELF) Award for its contribution to protecting children’s lung health through an innovative partnership between doctors and young people that aims to tackle youth vaping.
The award, which recognises individuals, groups or organisations making an outstanding contribution in the field of lung health, will be presented at this year’s European Respiratory Society’s (ERS) Congress in Barcelona on 5 September 2026.
Vapen #JouwKeuze (Vaping: Your Choice) is a Netherlands-based campaign founded and run by volunteer doctors, currently supported by the Dutch Health Funds for a Smokefree Netherlands (Hartstichting, KWF Kankerbestrijding and Longfonds), The Contribute Foundation and health insurer Zorg and Zekerheid. The campaign combines medical expertise with youth perspectives to provide free, evidence-based educational materials to schools. It has also taken direct action to stop the tobacco industry targeting young people.
Approximately one in ten Dutch 12-year-olds have tried vaping and hospitalisations among Dutch teens due to vaping-related injuries doubling in recent years. Evidence has shown that vaping can increase the risk of coughing, wheezing, bronchitis symptoms, asthma exacerbations and nicotine addiction. Research has also shown that vaping acts as a gateway to cigarette smoking.
The campaign provides free interactive lesson packages for secondary schools, developed by experienced doctors and educational specialists in partnership with classroom teachers and young people themselves. The materials equip students with facts about vaping’s short and long-term health impacts, the role of the tobacco industry in promoting nicotine products and the realities of nicotine addiction. Schools can also request doctors to visit classrooms and deliver presentations directly to students.
A key feature of Vapen #JouwKeuze is its youth panel – teenagers aged 13 to 18 who contribute to the campaign’s work primarily by participating in its video content. Building this kind of contribution requires first earning the trust of these young people, something Vapen #JouwKeuze excels at. In the videos, teenagers speak honestly about their nicotine addiction and the health complaints caused by vaping, creating a powerful peer-to-peer element that features not only in educational materials but also in lobbying efforts.
Vapen #JouwKeuze has also become a powerful advocacy tool. In June 2026, the campaign took the initiative in filing a formal complaint with the Dutch Advertising Code Committee against Philip Morris International’s campaign attempting to influence European tobacco legislation – and won the case.
The campaign also launched an interactive map with broadcaster KRO-NCRV’s Pointer programme, revealing the number of nicotine retail outlets near schools across the Netherlands and exposing how often these shops sell nicotine products to minors. In addition, Vapen #JouwKeuze took cease-and-desist action against Snapchat, working with its youth panel to show how the platform facilitates the vape trade among Dutch youth, with dealers facing virtually no obstacles in approaching teenagers. This led to a formal enforcement request with the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), and the findings now feed into a major Digital Services Act investigation into Snapchat by the European Commission.
Receiving the award, a spokesperson for Vapen #JouwKeuze said:
“We are deeply grateful to receive this award, which recognises the work Dutch physicians are doing on the front line against the nicotine industry. The Netherlands is unique in this regard: doctors are turning their frustration over needless illness caused by smoking and vaping into voluntary action on a massive scale. This is something policymakers can hardly ignore. We hope this inspires physicians across Europe to do the same.”
ELF Chair, Dimitris Kontopidis, said:
“Vapen #JouwKeuze exemplifies how healthcare professionals can work alongside young people to deliver effective public health action. Their innovative campaign has been a huge success and has delivered impressive results. By combining evidence-based education, engaging young people as partners and delivering strategic advocacy, they are protecting a generation from vaping and its lifelong consequences for lung health. We are proud to present them with the ELF Award for 2026.”
Learn more about the campaign and download the Vapen #JouwKeuze lesson materials or contact info@vapenjouwkeuze.nl
About the ELF Award
Established in 2001, the ELF Award recognises individuals and organisations making a measurable impact on respiratory public health. Previous recipients include the World Health Organization, C40 Chair Anne Hidalgo and clean air campaigner Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah.
About the European Respiratory Society Congress
The ERS Congress is the world’s largest respiratory meeting, bringing together more than 25,000 participants from across the globe to present and discuss the latest research on topics including asthma, COPD, lung cancer, pollution, and smoking. The 2026 Congress takes place in Barcelona from 5 September to 9 September.
About Vapen #JouwKeuze
Vapen #JouwKeuze is a volunteer-led campaign founded by Dutch doctors to protect young people from nicotine addiction and vaping-related health harms. The campaign provides free educational materials to schools, arranges doctor visits to classrooms, and advocates for stronger regulations on nicotine sales to minors. Supported by the Dutch Health Funds for a Smokefree Netherlands (Hartstichting, KWF Kankerbestrijding, and Longfonds), The Contribute Foundation and health insurer Zorg and Zekerheid, the campaign operates on the principle that every child deserves the freedom to make informed choices about their health, free from industry manipulation.
