Calling young artists for teen tobacco, cannabis & vaping contest

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