Concerns about rising rates of smoking, vaping and excessive drinking among the region's young people have prompted health officials to fund two projects.
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The South Eastern Primary Health Network Coordinare has funded the early intervention and preventative health initiatives.
CEO Prue Buist said population health data showed alcohol was a major cause of preventable diseases and harm in NSW.
The rising use of vapes and e-cigarettes among young people aged 12 to 24 years was another cause for alarm, she said.
That concern had prompted Coordinare to ask the Alcohol and Drug Foundation to run campaigns in the Shoalhaven and Illawarra areas targeting key health concerns.
Ms Buist said they centred on "targeting risky drinking, the prevention and delay of the uptake of alcohol plus community engagement activities that aim to reduce the incidence of vaping and smoking amongst young people."
Parents of young people aged 12-17 years are also the target audience of the foundation's values-based campaign aimed at preventing and delaying the uptake of alcohol.
"The ADF's risky drinking campaign has been recognised previously with a number of national awards so it is encouraging that this message is proving to be effective," Ms Buist said.
"We are determined that by continuing this campaign, there will be even greater awareness and ultimately positive behaviour change for our community."
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation's campaigns will also target vaping and smoking among young people, with messaging aligned with information coming from the NSW Cancer Institute.
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"This is such an important public health issue as vapes can contain harmful chemicals and vaping is addictive and has been linked to serious lung disease," Ms Buist said.
Along with the foundation's work in the Shoalhaven and Illawarra, Coordinare has funded the Southern NSW Local Health District to provide community and school-based initiatives aimed at reducing the number of young people smoking and vaping.
These initiatives are a clever combination of digital media campaigns reaching young people online as well as localised approaches such as the SNSWLD's collaborative community engagement activities through local high schools and youth organisations," Ms Buist said.
The campaign will also target adults, to focus on the roles they can play in making young people aware of the health risks of their behaviour.
"The SNSWLHD's webinar series targeting teachers and parents of young people are an important component of the public health efforts to raise awareness of the health impacts of vaping," Ms Buist said.
