For young people in Macarthur to vape or not to vape, or to smoke or not to smoke, can be a tough decision.
Some people think it can help them fit in with their crowd or settle the nerves and give a feeling of calmness.
But the graphics on the cigarette packet and the research suggests another story that goes hand in hand with smoking and vaping: severe and debilitating health impacts.
Macarthur and Wingecarribee youth health promotion charity Youth Solutions advises young people they can make more informed decisions around tobacco smoking and vaping.
The organisation’s #whyichoose campaign aims to educate young people aged 15-25 about the negative health effects of tobacco smoking and vaping.
#whyichoose aims to promote the benefits of choosing not to smoke or vape, as well as the benefits that come making safer decisions around smoking and vaping, such as reducing use or not smoking around others.
At its heart, the campaign is a conversation, and young people across the two regions are warmly invited to join in.
The current campaign was launched in conjunction with Camden Council during Youth Week and wraps up this month.
Throughout the campaign Youth Solutions and its Youth Advisory Group (YAG) volunteers have been sharing smoking and vaping information, facts and links to support and resources.
Health promotion officer Rebecca Fortune is excited to be leading her first #whyichoose campaign along with Youth Solutions’ colleague and youth engagement coordinator Sam Young.
Ms Fortune has a youth work background largely in the arts and says she has been drawing on that experience to focus on working in a collaborative way with young people.
“The objective of the campaign is to stimulate conversations, and that resonates with me. I want to amplify young people’s voices that centre around conversations they are already having,” she said.
“It’s always a privilege to be able to get a bit of an idea where young people are at and their perspectives of these really important discussions.”
The 2022 #whyichoose campaign has been stimulating conversations and encouraging discussion about tobacco smoking and vaping and the associated risks and harms through social media, Youth Week events and via Youth Solutions’ school programs.
Ms Fortune said YAG was integral in advising Youth Solutions about the campaign content and its different components.
“We need advice that our content is hitting the mark, that it’s relevant to young people at this time and place,” she says.
“That’s where our YAG comes in – their contribution has been vital.”
A new interactive addition to the 2022 campaign is an online quiz, encouraging young people to put their knowledge to the test.
“The quiz has been designed to be something young people can engage with in a brief but entertaining way; it’s fun and also educational,” Ms Fortune said.
For more information on the #whyichoose campaign, connect with Youth Solutions on Instagram (@youth_solutions) or visit https://youthsolutions.com.au/project/whyichoose/
Take the #whyichoose quiz here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/whyichoose22
