YOUNG people from Conwy Youth Engagement and Belonging Service have been highlighting the dangers of vaping by dispelling the commonly used excuses made by people with the habit.
Youth Work Week in Wales (23rd-30th June) is an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the impact and diversity of youth work across Wales.
The topic of vaping was explored by Conwy Youth Council, whose members are aged between 11 and 24, in sessions which also looked at the impact of the banning of Single Use Vapes. The young people looked at the responses used to excuse vaping to come up with a campaign to discourage their peers from taking up the habit in the first place.
Whilst vapes can be considered safer than cigarettes for adults who smoke, most contain nicotine which is addictive. And it’s illegal to sell any vapes to anyone under 18 years of age.
The aim of the ban on Single Use Vapes, which came into force on 1 June, is to reduce the environmental impact of the cheaper, single use items, which contain plastics, batteries and chemicals, and which are often littered. The ban has also been welcomed by health organisations as a means to discourage young people from taking up vaping.
The Youth Council worked with staff from Conwy’s Regulatory Services to better understand the issues around vaping. They then created posters, which call out common excuses for vaping, along with an animation. The posters will be distributed to education centres and youth facilities, and displayed with the specific aim of persuading other young people to ditch the habit or not starting in the first place.
Cllr Julie Fallon, Cabinet Member for Education, who has responsibility for the Youth Engagement and Belonging Service, said: “Our Youth Council members can play an important role as advocates for other young people and have a positive influence amongst their peers.
“We’re really proud of how they used the knowledge they gained during the sessions to come up with messages that they felt would have the most impact.”
