Effective communication about the harms of tobacco use is central to comprehensive tobacco control.  We support the delivery of local tobacco control though regional communications and education activities aimed at a range of audiences, and by supporting the delivery of national mass media.

Tobacco Free Futures is doing a great deal to provide effective communications for tobacco control.  Smoke & Mirrors is one example of a unique North West project which aims to highlight the negative practices of the tobacco industry and encourages young people to look at tobacco harm in a completely new way.

To kick start the pioneering project in 2009 Smoke & Mirrors launched a film making competition which saw young people write and produce their own short films which exposed the negative marketing practices of the tobacco industry.  The winning three were aired in cinemas and featured in a viral campaign.

In 2010 Smoke & Mirrors brought together more than 400 young people from across the North West to an interactive youth campaign weekend.  The event allowed young people to consider campaign actions they would like to take in taking a stand against the tobacco industry.

More recently the Smoke & Mirrors project has been heavily involved in the dabate surrounding the glamourisation of smoking in media aimed at young people and the plain packaging of tobacco products.  And in February 2012 Smoke & Mirrors will be running an event to highlight the issue of smoking and tobacco use in media aimed at young people and plain packagine.  This is an inaugural event starting a year long programme of activity designed to engage young people in education, events and opportunities around smoking and tobacco use.

Alongside these aspects is a specialist Smoke & Mirrors resource pack which is being used in schools and youth settings and has been developed to bring industry practices to life in creative ways to capture young people’s attention.  For more details about our Smoke & Mirrors resource pack visit our product tools and training page.

If you would like to know more about the Smoke & Mirrors anti tobacco project visit www.seethroughtheillusion.co.uk