Danila Dilba Connects with Community at the Deadly Cup

It was fantastic to catch up with the Danila Dilba Tackling Indigenous Smoking team at this year’s Deadly Cup and see their stall buzzing with activity throughout the day. A constant stream of people stopped by to pick up Flip the Vape shirts, learn more about smoking and vaping, and yarn with staff. Interactive displays and conversation starters, including the popular “jar of tar”, helped spark discussions about the health impacts of commercial tobacco and recreational vaping and encouraged community members to think about the benefits of staying smoke and vape free.

Held at Richardson Park in Ludmilla, the Deadly Cup is one of the Northern Territory’s largest NAIDOC Week celebrations. The free, community-led, smoke and vape-free event brings together thousands of community members each year to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, connection and sporting talent. Delivered by Deadly Vision Centre and its partners, the carnival uses rugby league as a platform to connect community with health and support services in a culturally safe environment.

This year’s carnival, celebrating 50 years of NAIDOC, attracted more than 2,000 attendees and featured around 200 young players competing across five age divisions. Alongside the rugby league action, community members enjoyed cultural activities, a healthy feed and the Deadly Health Expo, which brought together 21 organisations from across the Territory, including the Danila Dilba Tackling Indigenous Smoking team.

As a proudly smoke and vape-free event, the Deadly Cup creates opportunities for young people to celebrate culture, build confidence and connect with services that support health and wellbeing while encouraging conversations about the benefits of remaining smoke and vape free.

It was also a proud moment to see members of the community wearing their Flip the Vape shirts at the Darwin NAIDOC march later in the week, with the conversations and messages sparked at the Deadly Cup continuing to be seen and shared across Darwin. A powerful reminder that events like the Deadly Cup are about much more than a single day - they create opportunities to connect with community, start important conversations and support smoke and vape-free futures.

Dr Penney Upton
Research and Evidence Lead