Public Health – Smokefree Youth - Take Back Control (from Tobacco) / Kick Ash
“I do know people who buy cheap fags and if I’m honest it never occurred to me that they were doing anything wrong. Before we started the song-writing I thought it was just a bad smell, you know something that you notice on your clothes. I never realised the full extent of the damage it can cause, especially to children and unborn babies.” Dudley student, Take Back Control.
A more sophisticated approach to tobacco control was taken by artists working with teenagers on both the Kick Ash programme, and then Take Back Control (from tobacco).
In workshops across the region young people researched cold, hard facts about second hand smoke, nicotine addiction and the implications of both illicit and illegal tobacco products.
Initially a cast of professional actors delivered The Resistance in senior schools – a call to arms against the tobacco industry.
Then students themselves became the creators of films, songs and video games to spread the word.
Creative Health matched professional input to identified gaps in the process – for example Dudley College said they had the musical expertise to produce a song, but would struggle with writing original lyrics. So Creative Health employed a professional song writer to work with music students over two months to help hone their skills.
Young Wolverhampton rapper Vital was the Take Back Control figurehead, supporting the creation of original music and prose and ultimately involving more than 500 teenagers in the creative process.
Resources
Watch and listen to the Take Back Control films, and play the games, here: