Don’t let your dreams go up in smokes!

Whether you want to be a sports star or musician, have a family or travel the world, smokes can affect your dreams. Stay off the smokes, achieve your dreams and help make our mob’s future smoke free.

That’s the message from community-controlled health organisation, Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia, which is tackling smoking with young people in Adelaide through its new campaign, ‘Don’t let your dreams go up in smokes’.

The campaign, which is the second phase of the award winning Rewrite Your Story project, encourages young people to look to the future and to share their dreams.

CEO of Nunkuwarrin Yunti, Vicki Holmes, said the campaign aims to reduce the uptake of smoking among young Aboriginal people and to help break the cycle of smoking.

“We want to prevent young people from taking their first puff or experimenting with cigarettes regularly, as we know that young people who start smoking socially with their friends are more likely to become regular smokers later on,” Vicki said.

“We need to get the message through to our kids that smoking is not fun or cool, and that it’s not part of our Aboriginal and social culture.

“We want them to understand that by taking up smoking, it’s their future, their ‘dreams’, that’ll be going up in smokes!

“We hope they’ll be a generation that really values the health of their bodies, and can help break the cycle of smoking among Aboriginal people in our region.”

'Don’t let your dreams go up in smokes’ will maintain the story-telling approach of the Rewrite Your Story campaign, with a strong online and social media presence.

“We’re hoping to engage young people to share messages with each other. Young people who are positive role models can share the idea that being fit and healthy in mind and body is the best way to achieve their dreams,” Vicki said.

“We also want young people to discuss the negative realities of smoking between themselves, and inspire them to learn from each other.

“Sharing is an important part of our culture and rather than young people sharing smokes, we will promote them sharing in fun and healthy activities like sport, dance and art.”