Smokefree Youth Ambassadors Programme
Cancer Society Smokefree Youth Ambassadors are passionate young people who are working with the Cancer Society to campaign to get rid of retail marketing of tobacco products and end tobacco marketing.
Want to become a Smokefree Youth Ambassador?
Are you a Kiwi teenager who wants your voice to be heard in government and work on interesting and challenging campaigns? Do you want to have fun and get active in making NZ 100% Smoke-free? Are you interested in social change for young people? If you answered yes to these questions you should consider becoming a Cancer Society Smoke-free Youth Ambassadors to speak out on tobacco control issues! More...
What are Smokefree Youth Ambassadors doing?
Christchurch Youth Ambassadors win youth volunteering award
December 2009
Volunteering Canterbury recognised the efforts of the Smokefree Ambassadors in Christchurch have made in their contribution to the national 'out of sight out of mind' campagin. Luke, Malachi, Scott, Jamie and Richie were recognised in an awards evening, along with a small
handful of other young Cantabrians for their outstanding volunteering efforts.
Kapiti Youth document Youth Voices
July 2009
Christchurch Students Present to Selwyn MP 
Kapiti Coast Cancer Society Smokefree Youth Ambassadors have surveyed young people in their community to find out their views on tobacco displays. They have also used video to document youth voices on the issue. The materials were delivered to their local MP Nathan Guy by Kapiti Smokefree Youth Ambassadors Renee Duffell and Max Roberts Bristow to encourage him to support their call to get tobacco 'out of sight' in shop.
July 2009
Some of the Christchurch Smokefree Youth Ambassadors met recently with Amy Adams, MP for Selwyn. Luke, Richie and Jamie also invited along a Respiratory Physician as they discussed with Ms Adams the reasons why they wanted to see an end to tobacco displays. The Ambassadors shared their thoughts and perspectives and highlighted the impact these displays have for people their own age. The Youth Ambassadors are planning to visit all National Party MPs in their area to ensure they hear what young people think about tobacco displays in shops.
Youth get the word out
May 2009
Palmerston North Smokefree Youth Ambassadors Jasmine, Rebekah and Tegan were interviewed about the campaign to get tobacco out of sight on Whakapai Hauora's Kia Ora FM. They talked about activities they had been involved in to raise awareness and build public support for the campaign to ban tobacco displays, including collecting signatures for a petition, meeting their local MP and collecting over 80 signed postcards at the smokefree intermediate netball tournament.
Wellington Youth use radio to call for action
May 2009
Wellington-based Smokefree Youth Ambassadors have developed two radio adverts calling for a ban on tobacco displays as part of their World Smokefree Day activities. The adverts will be broadcast on on 91ZM and Classic Hits during the month of May.
Timaru youth mobilise Cancer Society supporters
April 2009
Twenty South Canterbury Smokefree Youth Ambassadors planned a series of activities for their regional Relay for Life event. In front of an audience of around 3,000 they talked about who they were and what they were there to do. They then walked around the event with banners for people to sign and collected lots of support through postcards. They had a dedicated lap at 6pm to ‘Smokefree futures’ and asked supporters to march with them as a group around the track. This is just the tip of the iceberg for the group of enthusiastic young people, with lots of ideas already brewing- so watch this space, South Canterbury have had enough!
Survey shows that three quarter of Hawkes Bay youth want tobacco out of sight in shops
February 2009
Hawkes Bay Cancer Society Smokefree Youth Ambassador Sarah Pulford conducted a survey of her peers views on tobacco displays. She found that a vast majority (three quarters) of 14 and 15 year old Hawkes Bay teenagers supported getting tobacco out of sight in shops. “The results are exciting. They show that young people are even more supportive of getting tobacco out of sight in shops than adults,” said Sarah. Two thirds of New Zealand adults support a ban on tobacco displays. Sarah says youth support for a ban on tobacco displays is important because young people are the main target of tobacco displays. "Even though young people are the target of the advertising, and this survey shows that we support a ban on tobacco displays, we can’t vote and we can’t make laws. Adults have to do that for us, so we hope they listen!”
Palmerston North Youth Ambassadors discuss tobacco displays with local MP February 2009
Cancer Society Smokefree Youth Ambassadors in Palmerston North met with their local MP Simon Power to
discuss the issue of tobacco displays and ask him for his support. Along with Oncologist Simon Allan and Cancer Society staff Roger Twentyman and Renee Miller, the Youth Ambassadors explained the issue of tobacco displays to the MP through PowerPoint presentation and they were pleased to hear that he fully supported the campaign to get tobacco out of sight in shops.
Rotorua Youth Ambassadors discuss tobacco displays with local MP
December 2008
Cancer Society Smokefree Youth Ambassadors in Rotorua met with their local MP Todd McClay to discuss the
issue of tobacco displays and ask him
for his support. They were pleased to hear that he fully supported the campaign to
get tobacco out of sight in shops. The Youth Ambassadors left Mr McClay with a copy of the Cancer Society DVD 'Out of Sight - Out of Mind'.
Palmerston North youth show clinicians support campaign to get tobacco 'out of sight'
November 2008
Cancer Society Smokefree Youth Ambassadors in Palmerston North
presented a letter signed by 50 local
clinicians in support of the call to get tobacco out of sight in shops. The Youth Ambassadors presented the open letter to the office of
their local MP Simon Power. They are now waiting for his response to their letter and
hope to meet with him in the new year.
Timaru youth learn about tobacco industry tactics and take action
September 2008
Students at Timaru's Opihi College have been helping to raise awareness about the impact of tobacco displays on youth smoking uptake in their community. After watching the 'Out of Sight - Out of Mind' DVD the students have been involved in getting their friends and family to write to local MPs using Cancer Society postcards. Year 10 student Rachel Ellena said "It's about helping to protect children who may see smoking as normal or okay". The students were interviewed by the local paper about the issue.
North Canterbury Smokefree Speech Competition
September 2008
Representatives from five North Canterbury Primary Schools competed at a Cancer Society Smokefree Speech competition with a focus on getting tobacco out of sight in shops. The audience included parents, teachers and seven MPs. The finalists from Kaiapoi North, Kaiapoi Borough, St Patrick's, West Eyreton and Clarkville
Schools spoke about protecting children from tobacco marketing.
- Winning Speech by St Patrick's School student
- Winning Speech by West Eyreton School student
- In the news!
Christchurch Youth Tear Down The Wall
August 2008
A group of Discovery 1 School students have been working very hard to get tobacco out of sight in shops. The students organised a public event at Christchurch's Cathedral Square which they invited MP's to hear presentations from students and to watch the group ‘tear down the wall' on tobacco displays. The group have video conferenced with MP's in Wellington, they've been interviewed by the media, built a website which has more photos of the event and links to their you-tube clip on displays, they've given presentations at DVD screenings of "Out of sight out of mind" and much more. More...
Whangarei Youth tell adults to take action to stop tobacco marketing to kids
August 2008
Whangarei Smokefree Youth Ambassadors organised a launch of the new Cancer Society DVD 'Out of Sight Out of Mind: Protect Our Children from Tobacco Marketing' and are now taking the DVD out to other schools and community groups to help mobilise adults to stop tobacco marketing to kids. The launch involved local MPs, young people, public health experts and community workers. Many postcards were signed by participants asking their MPs to support a ban on tobacco displays.
Hawkes Bay Youth Ambassador interviewed about new DVD
July 2008
Hawkes Bay Smokefree Youth Ambassador Sarah Pulford was interviewd on Hawkes Bay's local TV station about the launch of the new DVD, 'Out of Sight - Out of Mind: Protecting Children from Tobacco marketing.'
Gisborne Youth Rally Against Tobacco Marketing
May and June 2008
Gisborne Smokefree Youth Ambassadors organised the 'Out of Sight - Out of Mind Youth Rally' to "activate and educate" Gisborne's youth against tobacco industry exploitation through retail marketing.
- Jessica Wauchop, "Taking fight to cigarette powerwalls", Gisborne Herald, 13 June 2008
- "Smokefree Message heard Loud and Clear", Gisborne Herald, 6th June 2008
- "Zero Marketing Now", Belinda Keenan
- Youth Rally Advert
- Youth Rally Flyer
- Youth Rally Media Release
Wanganui youth use the media to get the word out
May and June 2008
These were broadcast during Youth Week 08 and Smokefree Day 08 and organised a rally to get the word out about tobacco displays in their community.
- Ambassadors hit the streets, Wanganui MidWeek. - June 11th 2008
- Wanganui Youth declare war on cigarettes, Wanganui MidWeek - May 21st 2008
- Listen: Advert # 1
- Listen: Advert #2
Hawkes Bay Youth Tell their MPs "Enough is Enough - end tobacco marketing NOW!"
April 2008
Hawkes Bay Youth Ambassadors coordinated a joint letter to their local MPs calling for them to support a total ban on tobacco displays. The letter was signed by over 500 local people. More...
Motueka Youth Speaks out through youth media - Telling it like it is!
April 2008
Motueka-based Cancer Society Smokefree Youth Ambassadors Kelsi Inglis wrote an article for a local youth magazine on campaign for an end to tobacco marketing in shops.
Being Part of It - Youth have their say on tobacco marketing
December 2007 to February 2008
Around the country Youth Ambassadors made submissions and enouraged others to make submissions in support of a total ban on tobacco retail marketing. More...
On the National Stage - Youth tell MPs to stop marketing tobacco to them!
October 2007
Cancer Society Smokefree Youth Ambassadors presented to the Health Select Committee in support of the Cancer Society's petition to ban tobacco displays.
Tearaway article on Youth Ambassadors presentation - Northland-based Youth Ambassador Yathen in the news...
- Gisborne-based Youth Ambassador Nathanial in the news...
- Auckland-based Youth Ambassador Micah in the news...
- New Plymouth-based Youth Ambassador Cassandra in the news...
Youth Speak at Rally to Hand Petition to Parliament
June 2007
Three Cancer Society Smokefree Youth Ambassadors were selected to came to Wellington to hand the petition over to Associate Health Minister Damien O'Conner in June 07. They spoke at a rally outside Parliament House with nearly 200 people watching and had a private meeting with the Minister afterward to further convey their message. More...
Youth Petition Parliament to End Tobacco Marketing
May 2007
Young people around the country were involved in collecting signatures as part of the Cancer Society's petition to ban tobacco displays in May 07. Over 20,000 signatures were collected in under one month. More...
