NHS Stop Smoking uses many different tactics to encourage people of all ages to kick the habit and they have come up with an innovative way to communicate their message to young people across Leicester.

With the aim of engaging young people across Leicester, the STOP! Smoking service has teamed up with the School Development Support Agency and 2Funky Arts, tasking them to connect with young people and find a new approach.

The result was a safe, smokefree and alcohol free night of urban music called ‘What’s the Point!’, held at one of Leicester’s most famous music venues, The Charlotte, on March 5th. It featured local street and urban artists, including rappers, dancers, MC’s and DJ’s, whilst promoting the smokefree message.

The SDSA are the leaders of partnerships and projects aimed to improve outcomes for children and young people. Created by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and now owned by Leicester City Council, the SDSA look at a number of issues involving young people.

Alan Curtis, the Pupil Participation Officer at the SDSA and Will, one of the teenagers working on the project, met with Soar Magazine to explain the inspiration behind the event and what they hoped to achieve.

Alan is well aware of the health issues connected to smoking which illustrated his motivation.

“Over 300 people die every day from smoking relating illnesses in this country. That’s what the STOP! Smoking team wanted to get across through a form of guerilla marketing. That’s why we’re doing this event.

“They wanted us to tackle this in a non-traditional way because they are always looking for new ways to communicate the message. The idea is to connect to places where young people go. We do a lot of work with young people and a lot of it is inside schools, but this is really radical.”

Alan is looking forward to the event and hopes that a more relaxed approach, communicating with young people on a different level, will be of benefit.

“We’re really excited about the event and using the Charlotte to host a maximum of 300 young people. We don’t want to put young people off. It’s a balance between young people enjoying themselves and taking this message away. My colleague Juliet and I wanted to think outside of the box and not just lecture about the evils of smoking.”

Alan accepts that there are a number of factors involved in teenagers taking up the habit.

“People smoke for all sorts of reasons. My experience of working with young people is that a lot of it is about image and peer pressure plays a big part in it. A lot of children’s parents smoke, which means they’re always around it.

“All the evidence suggests that the starting age for smoking is the early teens and STOP! Smoking wanted to specifically address young people.”

As well as the music, there were posters up at the event and other items, which have been designed by young people, alongside De Montfort University. Will, who is a member of the young people’s council, did a lot of work on the designs of the posters, postcards and money tins produced for the event.

“Each image has a story behind it. There’s one looking at how much money you’ve spent, one about the idea of drowning in your own tar from smoking and one of a plane with cigarettes coming out the back. We also had money tins made up, showing people how much they’re spending on smoking and how much they can save by giving up.”

Speaking before the event, Alan hoped the night would be a great success, and sees music as a great tool to emphasise the stop smoking message.

“Other mediums like sport have been used, and used well, but I think a lot more young people listen to music than play sport. It’s a bit experimental for us and we’re not sure what’s going to happen, but all the elements are there for a great success.”