The Interior Health (IH) Legal Substances Team and the YOUTHWISE Advisory Group are excited to launch IH’s annual youth poster contest, Beyond the Buzz: Youth Voices on Tobacco, Cannabis, Vaping & Alcohol.  Formerly known as the Take a Breath: Teen Voices on Tobacco, Vaping and Cannabis, this year the contest includes an opportunity for youth to express their views on alcohol use. The contest has also been expanded to include youth in grades 6 and 7 as well as grades 8 to 12. The poster contest aims to capture youths’ views on how tobacco, vaping, cannabis and alcohol affect them and their friends, family, schools and communities. It’s also a great avenue for supportive adults to engage youth in meaningful conversations around substance use.

Four students have been selected as winners in BC Lung Foundation and Interior Health’s (IH) first-ever radon skill testing contest. First place and second place winners were chosen in each of grades 4–8 and grades 9–12 from across the IH region. “The contest was designed to spark interest in science among young students, and to also promote awareness among teachers, staff, parents and guardians about the importance of testing for radon,” says Dr. Silvina Mema, deputy chief medical health officer. “Radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and it’s commonly found in homes and buildings across the Interior region. Testing is the only way to know if radon is present.” Colourful posters and letters were sent to schools, and the contest was advertised on BC Lung and IH’s websites. The contest was also featured in social media. “We were thrilled that Interior Health is leading efforts to get schools tested. This contest was designed to be a springboard for building radon awareness with students’ families,” says Noah Quastel, director, law and policy, of the Healthy Indoor Environments program at the BC Lung Foundation. “I was amazed to see so many students take time to think about this important public health issue. The contest spread awareness throughout B.C.’s Southern Interior with tens of thousands of people seeing the posters and ads.”

Five teens have been selected as winners for the 2023 Take a Breath: Teen Voices on Tobacco, Cannabis and Vaping poster contest. Youth in grades eight to 12 living in the Interior Health region were invited to participate in the contest. Teen judges on the IH Teen Advisory Council evaluated and scored each poster based on a specific set of criteria. The intent of the poster contest was to spark meaningful conversations about teen tobacco, cannabis and vapour product use, and their impacts on teens’ health, environment and their communities. Teens who identify as Indigenous were also invited to reflect and share on the differences between ceremonial and commercial tobacco use. “It’s exciting to see this level of interest in participating in this contest. We do appreciate the attention that encourages us to work even harder to spread the word about the impacts of smoking and vaping on our health,” says Dr. Fatemeh Sabet, medical health officer at Interior Health. “By collaborating with youth, we continue to learn how to engage younger generations in a more meaningful way in order to minimize the risks of hazards, like vaping, in our communities.”

Do you have a student in your life who’s interested in science, health or writing – or all three?  BC Lung Foundation and Interior Health (IH) have partnered together to launch our first-ever Radon Skill Testing Contest for students in grades 4–8 and 9–12.   This skill testing contest aims to increase awareness of the health risks associated with radon. Students can answer one, or up to four, skill testing questions about radon for a chance to win Beats on-ear headphones, Beats wireless ear buds, or an Alpha Track radon test kit.  Radon is more prevalent in the Interior region than in the rest of B.C. It’s a radioactive gas that accumulates in indoor spaces, and long-term exposure can cause lung cancer. The only way to know how much radon you could have in your home, work or leisure indoor space is to test.  “Not only do we want students to take an interest in this important topic, we want parents and guardians, teachers and school staff to take note too,” says Dr. Silvina Mema, Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer at IH. “We want people to test for radon in their own homes.”

Take a Breath: Teen Voices on Tobacco, Cannabis & Vaping contest is back for a second year. Interior Health is asking young artists to share their thoughts and experience for a chance to win a $150 gift card. Teens living in the Interior Health region in grades 8 to 12 are invited to submit original artwork that shares a message about the impact of youth smoking/tobacco and cannabis use and vaping, inspired by one of the following themes: The importance of ceremonial tobacco for Indigenous traditions, and how it differs from everyday (commercial) tobacco use (must identify as Indigenous to submit entry to this theme) Important facts about smoking tobacco, using cannabis and/or vaping products Tobacco and vaping companies’ strategies to promote use Impact of smoking tobacco, using cannabis and/or vaping on my life  Environmental impact of smoking/tobacco and vaping A panel of teen peers will select a winning poster in each of the five themes. Posters will be professionally printed, and offered to schools for display throughout the Interior Health region as well as in IH hospitals and health-care centres. More importantly, by virtue of coming from youth artists, their messages will hopefully resonate more with people in that age group. “Youth know better than adults about youth smoking, tobacco and cannabis use and vaping,” says Jered Dennis, Tobacco and Vaping Reduction Coordinator at Interior Health. “It’s important to hear youth voices and views on how smoking tobacco or cannabis and vaping impacts them and their friends, and also their families, schools and communities.” “Through this poster contest, we want to create opportunities for conversation between teens and their peers, and also with their parents and teachers, about smoking, vaping and tobacco and cannabis use,” adds Priscila Nabuco, who works with Jered on the Tobacco and Vapour Reduction team. “By educating themselves, young people can make informed choices about nicotine and vape use.” Entries will be accepted until Dec. 15, 2023. Learn more about the contest

Four teens have won Interior Health’s Take a Breath: Teen Voices on Tobacco and Vaping poster contest. Each winner will receive a $150 gift card of their choice. The winning posters are being professionally printed, displayed in hospitals and health centres, and shared with schools throughout the region. “We want to thank everyone who took the time to submit an entry for this poster contest to help raise awareness and help people make informed decisions on this important health topic,” says Interior Health medical health officer Dr. Fatemeh Sabet. “Smoking tobacco and vaping have significant, proven negative impacts on our health. These posters by youth for youth provide important information about the health risks, and differences between commercial and traditional tobacco use.”