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Students star in film to discourage youth vaping

Malcolm Ringin Bradford
Malcolm Ring/BBC A young girl with long light-brown hair. She is wearing a dark blue and red top with her school's logo on it. She is stood in front of some cream-coloured window blinds.Malcolm Ring/BBC
Amy said she really enjoyed having a starring role in the film

A group of Bradford students have starred in a new campaign film to tackle rising rates of vaping among children and teenagers.

It is the latest video from the Catch Your Breath campaign, a project run by Bradford City FC Community Foundation and Bradford Council to reduce the number of youths using e-cigarettes.

Research gathered by the campaign suggested the proportion of young people vaping in Bradford was 9% higher than the national average.

Amy, one of the Oasis Academy Lister Park students who has featured in the film, said: "I know some people that do vape, but I've never wanted to snitch on them. I'm trying to see what I can do to help because I know how bad it can be."

A number of other videos have already been made as part of the campaign and played at locations across Bradford.

This latest film, which features students in Year 9 and 10, explores the health risks and social pressures linked to nicotine products.

It was screened to pupils during a special assembly where students also put questions to council staff about vaping.

Performing arts students Anjola,12, and Amy, 11, who appear in the film, said taking part was "amazing".

Malcolm Ring/BBC A girl with black braided hair and glasses. She is wearing her school uniform, which is a white shirt with a red tie. She is stood in front of some cream-coloured window blinds.Malcolm Ring/BBC
Anjola said she hoped the film would deter other young people from vaping

Amy said: "We enjoyed it so much. It was really fun to be around my friends.

"We learned a lot about vaping and how it could hurt you and it's not really that cool."

Both girls said they knew many people their age who vaped.

Anjola added: "I just feel like when they grow up and they look back to this day and their health is destroyed – not wishing it for anyone - but because they've been doing it over and over again, they'll be like, 'oh I should have listened back then'."

To show how disruptive the habit could be, the film swaps e-cigarettes for party horns.

Malcolm Ring/BBC A woman with tied-back light hair, wearing sunglasses. She is wearing a light blue jacket over a white and blue patterned dress, and has a purple lanyard. She is stood outside in front of a red and blue sign with 'Oasis Academy' written on it.Malcolm Ring/BBC
The school's principal, Jules Millar, said she was incredibly proud of the students who took part

Oliver Read, Head of Premier League and Sport Development at Bradford City FC Community Foundation, explained why this was effective.

"If we're trying to influence young people to stop doing something, what better way than to go, 'Actually, this is quite silly, isn't it? Is there something better that we can be doing with this time?' "

Jules Millar, principal of Oasis Academy Lister Park, said she was "brimming with pride" over the students' work and added that the school planned to take part in future anti-vaping projects.

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