A group of Indigenous students at Queanbeyan High School are leading the fight against smoking and vaping through a new campaign infused with a love of country and culture.
The Butt Out Boondah organisation worked with the students to craft the new television advertisement which will begin broadcasting in September.
It comes as experts fear a new generation will be enticed to start smoking via e-cigarettes.
Tackling Indigenous smoking officer Justine Brown said research had shown people were taking up smoking at a younger age.
"Unfortunately, definitely in our more rural and remote areas there aren't many activities," Ms Brown said.
"So a lot of the time our young people tend to flock with the bigger group and that bigger group may not necessarily be showcasing the right behaviours."
Health advocates are particularly concerned that children and teenagers are getting hooked on e-cigarrettes which are being marketed directly at young people via social media.
"They come in different flavours. They come in different looks. They look like a pen and are very easy to hide from parents. So they're always the number one option for our younger generations," Ms Brown said.
In 2019, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people accounted for 26.4 per cent of people who smoked tobacco, while a 2017 survey showed 14 per cent of Australian students aged 12 to 17 have tired e-cigarettes.
The new advertisement was filmed in Gibraltar Falls and features the students performing the ancient bogong dance and a cleansing ceremony in the water.
The students started learning the dance in December last year but the production was delayed several times because of illness in the film crew. Finally on a cold winters' day, the students went to film the dance and ceremony on location.
Ms Brown said the audience was likely to pay attention to the voice of the young, local people in the campaign.
"When we look after country, country in turn is going to look out for us. And so making sure that looking after ourselves mentally, physically, our country is going to take care of us tenfold," she said.
Year 12 student Amaya Vaevaemaki said being part of the campaign was very rewarding.
"I never thought that I'd be able to have an experience like that and I really hope that in the future generations, they'll be able to experience too because it was honestly beautiful," she said.
Year 12 student Damon Laws said it was an eye-opening experience.
"It was definitely a big insight into what smoking can do and what secondhand smoke can do to people around you. But I guess, being a part of a campaign that targets smoking in people I'm involved with... was really important," he said.
Ms Brown, who is a Ngunnawal traditional owner, got teary when the commercial was screened for the school.
"I never really necessarily got the opportunities to do these sorts of things and represent one culture in a very proud way. So to see our next generation of community leaders step up, and show up and stand up and deliver this piece, it really makes me extremely proud," she said.
- Call Quitline on 13 78 48 visit quit.org.au for free advice.
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