Source: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ has launched a national art competition for rangatahi that aims to raise awareness of vaping harm to young people and the environment.
“The Don’t Get Sucked In Poster Challenge is an opportunity for young people to learn more about vaping harm and share this information in a creative and impactful way with their peers,” explains Foundation Chief Executive Letitia Harding.
“The Foundation has been actively sharing information about vaping harm to young people, their parents and educators through our Don’t Get Sucked In website. We know that many rangatahi are keen to champion the importance of healthy lungs and the risks posed by vaping.”
Letitia adds: “We also know that the vaping industry is growing exponentially and so too does the problem of vape waste. Recent research from the UK reported that 3 million vape parts are thrown away per week, which amounts to two vapes every second. We know our rangatahi care about the environment and so should the next government. This competition is another way that rangatahi can share both those messages.”
The competition is open to New Zealand students in Years 7 – 13. They are being challenged to design a poster using any type of art medium, including digital design, that includes one of five messages about vaping:
– Don’t get sucked in – vaping is harmful to your health and wellbeing
– Safer than smokes? Some vapes have the same amount of nicotine as a packet of cigarettes
– Don’t gamble with your lungs – we don’t know the long-term effects of vaping yet
– Vaping harms your lungs and the planet – e-waste from vapes is a growing problem
– Don’t get sucked in – vapes have been designed to get you hooked
The Foundation has been working alongside the Life Education Trust over the last year to spread greater awareness of the risks vaping poses to young people. Trust Chief Executive John O’Connell says there has been high demand for the Trust’s programmes that inform rangatahi about the impacts of vaping. “Vaping has become a significant issue for schools as an increasing number of students become addicted to nicotine.”
The poster can be designed in English or te reo Māori, or a combination of languages. Entries close on Friday 30 June.
A panel of judges made up from the Foundation’s Vaping Educational Advisory Group, the Life Education Trust and a group of rangatahi will select one overall winner and four runners up. The total prize pool is valued at $800, and the Foundation will offer an interactive vaping harm education workshop to the school of the overall winner.
The Don’t Get Sucked In Poster Challenge is the latest initiative from the Foundation to increase awareness and knowledge of vaping harm to prevent youth uptake. The Foundation has run the Don’t Get Sucked In website since 2020 and last year released the Spotlight on Vaping video series featuring interviews with experts on the known harms of vaping. The Foundation also appointed our first Māori Community Liaison, Sharon Pihema, last year, who at the request of her community, has been working extensively in vaping harm education in Tairāwhiti.
