Youth champions in Hackney recruited to lead smoking & vaping prevention campaign

Gloji Smokefree City & Hackney, the stop smoking service for adults (18+) who live, work or study in Hackney or in the City of London, has been working with young people in Hackney to lead their own smoking and vaping prevention campaign for other young people.

Twenty youth champions have been recruited working in four groups to design and deliver their own content: podcasts, drama, quizzes, posters, animation, and social/video. Peer-to-peer sessions have reached approximately 390 students across two schools, plus two youth hubs.

During the workshops the Youth Champions learned about and discussed smoking, vaping, nicotine, health risks, common misconceptions, peer pressure, coping strategies and the support available to young people. They then used what they had learned, alongside their own experiences and ideas, to think about how these topics could be communicated effectively to other young people.

A key aim of this project was to involve young people directly rather than simply deliver information to them. The Youth Champions worked together to design and deliver their own educational projects, testing different ways of engaging their peers and developing their own resources.

Peer-Led Learning and Resource Development

The projects aimed to:

• Educate young people about the health risks of smoking and vaping.

• Dispel common myths and misconceptions.

• Promote the different ways young people can access help and support if they want to stop smoking or vaping.

• Explore peer pressure and how this can influence smoking and vaping.

• Share practical coping strategies for dealing with triggers, cravings, stress and social situations.

• Test and refine different methods of peer-to-peer learning.

An important principle throughout the project was creating information with young people, rather than simply for young people, so that the messages would feel more relevant and relatable to their peers.

ASH (Action on Smoking & Health) estimates 300,000+ children in Great Britain currently smoke. Smoking during childhood is associated with increased harm, including subsequent heavier smoking, higher levels of nicotine dependence, a lower chance of quitting and higher mortality. Through its work with young people in Hackney, Gloji Smokefree City & Hackney knows that smoking and vaping are issues they are concerned about and that they want reliable and trustworthy information. Providing accurate information early can help prevent young people from starting smoking or vaping and make it easier for those who already smoke or vape to understand where they can access support.

Expanding Support and Accessible Resources for Schools

A new youth-focused flyer was developed to promote the free stop smoking and vaping support available to young people aged 12+, with a QR code directing them to further information and support. Key messaging emphasised that the service is free, confidential and judgement-free. Young people can access ongoing support from a Stop Smoking Advisor, free quit aids and flexible support based on their individual needs. This has helped create a clearer pathway from education and awareness to practical support for a young person who decides they want to stop smoking or vaping.

Gloji Smokefree City & Hackney has also developed a Children and Young People's Smoking and Vaping Cessation Resource Pack, which was shared with schools and partners across City & Hackney. The pack brings together practical resources that schools and youth settings can continue to use, including youth-designed presentations, classroom materials, informational videos, service information, the CYP webpage and referral guidance. Some of these resources were co-designed with local young people, helping ensure the information is relevant and accessible to their peers.

The animation project also links back to the wider focus on youth voice, co-production and peer-to-peer communication, helping make health information aimed at teenagers more relevant and engaging. It provides a strong link between the animation and the wider Youth Champions work, with young people being actively involved in shaping how smoking and vaping messages are communicated to other young people.

Further resources, including the project's animation videos, can be viewed directly on the dedicated youth landing page.