Youth Vaping Feedback News

Hi everyone,

I’m Thomas Cauchi, Former Deputy Youth Mayor of Southend City Youth Council and lead for the vaping project. I wanted to share with you the results of the vaping survey. The primary goal of this campaign was to raise awareness about the dangers of vaping and educate the youth about the risks associated with it. By conducting this survey with the Southend Council Public Health Team, we have gathered insight that will provide understanding into the factors influencing young people’s decision to start vaping. This information will help us tailor our efforts, develop targeted interventions, and work towards effective preventive measures.

Vaping has become a worrying trend among the youth, and its popularity continues to rise at an alarming rate. As a member of this community, I cannot stand by while our future generation fall victim to the harmful effects of this addictive habit. It is not just a matter of personal choice; it is a public health crisis that demands immediate action. Last week I held an event to share these results, thank you to everyone who attended (picture taken at the event). As promised, I wanted to circulate the full survey results and summary presentation (attached). All results can be accessed on the Smart Southend website.

Our other successes include:

• Taking part in vaping test purchasing operations with Trading Standards – Southend Echo article link
• Meeting with C2C to share feedback with them about vaping on trains, in turn they’ve listened and acted and have added ‘no vaping’ posters at their stations and will be updating stickers onboard trains

Together, we have the power to create a shift and to cultivate an environment where informed choices prevail over uniformed decisions. We ask all of you to do something, however small that helps to educate/inform, help anyone struggling with/about vaping. If you all do this, we could make a big difference.

Kind regards,

Thomas Cauchi