Strength in our Story: How Young Mob Are (Re)shaping the Narrative on Tobacco and Vaping
Over five powerful days in November, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth and young people came together on Gadigal and Bidjigal Country for the Warraay Puthu (Bad Smoke, Ngiyampaa) Youth Creative Intensive. Together, youth wrote, recorded and filmed a song, music video, TV ads, and a heap of digital content for a coordinated local and national youth communications campaign.
“We began the week as strangers from every corner of Australia yet united by a shared love for our communities which is the driving force behind all that we do. There’s something truly powerful about watching individuals who walked in alone transform into a collective, connected by a common purpose and a vision for change,” Sara Sinclair from Ready. Quit. Solid.
What unfolded was one of the strongest examples of what happens when we trust youth and young people, resource their leadership, and allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures to lead the work.
This wasn’t a standard workshop. It was a fully youth-driven creative process grounded in sovereignty, storytelling and truth-telling. Youth and young people, creatives and researchers worked to design a campaign that speaks directly to the commercial harms caused by the tobacco and nicotine industry. And they did it through music, digital media, film, design and the everyday wisdom passed down through families and communities.
The energy in that space was unbelievable. There was honesty, humour, pride and a deep commitment to protecting current and future generations. What struck us the most was the strength with which young people named the structural issues—racism, predatory marketing, targeted industry tactics—and (re)framed them through culture, love and resistance. When youth and young people lead messaging, the truth comes through clearly and with integrity.
The intensive also built practical skills: communication, filming, editing, leadership, teamwork and public health messaging. But more than that, it centred Indigenous love as a guiding value, love for community, for cultures, for languages, for Country, and for each other forging new friendships and professional partnerships across teams and the continent. That is the real heart of prevention.
As Oshan Shibasaki Newman from Torres Health reflected, “The chance to meet and connect with other Indigenous health promoters across the country sparked pride in what we do and how we do it. The workflow of the production proved our determination for change and creative building. I could see the benefits of this activity being done with youth and Elders. Something for our future generations to look back on and be proud of.” He went on to say, “We need local stars to be born from the shadows and give them the quality and light they deserve. Most of us in community work with what we’ve got. It could be taken two ways: that we can’t do enough, or we can do more.” Working alongside Grand Trine, he added, “…really opened my mind. Their level of experience and motivation spoke through their work. It was more than just making a music video.”
The week ended with a showcase screening of the campaign videos that left everyone in the room moved by the impact it would have and had already had on those who took part. It was creative work, yes, but it was also Nation building. Youth and young people showed up and showed what health promotion looks like when it’s grounded in culture, agency and lived experience. The narrative shifted away from deficits and towards truth, pride and collective strength.
Warraay Puthu reminds us that Indigenous-led knowledge translation for and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples isn’t a “nice to have”, it is essential. It delivers clarity, cultural authority and strong messages that cut through where standard public health approaches often fall short.
Youth and young people know what’s at stake. Youth and young people know the tactics used by the tobacco and nicotine industry. And they know exactly how to speak to other young people about it.
Our job now is to back them in.
Sara Sinclair. Ready. Quit. Solid. Oshan Shibasaki Newman. Torres Health Rashae King. Torres Health Jasmin Allende. Na Joomelah Tylah Mundine. Na Joomelah Shane Allende. Na Joomelah Raglan Maddox. Tobacco Free Program. Yardhura Walani. The Australian National University Christina Heris. Tobacco Free Program. Yardhura Walani. The Australian National University
December 12, 2025
Strength in our Story: How Young Mob Are (Re)shaping the Narrative on Tobacco and Vaping
Over five powerful days in November, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth and young people came together on Gadigal and Bidjigal Country for the Warraay Puthu (Bad Smoke, Ngiyampaa) Youth Creative Intensive. Together, youth wrote, recorded and filmed a song, music video, TV ads, and a heap of digital content for a coordinated local and national youth communications campaign.
“We began the week as strangers from every corner of Australia yet united by a shared love for our communities which is the driving force behind all that we do. There’s something truly powerful about watching individuals who walked in alone transform into a collective, connected by a common purpose and a vision for change,” Sara Sinclair from Ready. Quit. Solid.
What unfolded was one of the strongest examples of what happens when we trust youth and young people, resource their leadership, and allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures to lead the work.
This wasn’t a standard workshop. It was a fully youth-driven creative process grounded in sovereignty, storytelling and truth-telling. Youth and young people, creatives and researchers worked to design a campaign that speaks directly to the commercial harms caused by the tobacco and nicotine industry. And they did it through music, digital media, film, design and the everyday wisdom passed down through families and communities.
The energy in that space was unbelievable. There was honesty, humour, pride and a deep commitment to protecting current and future generations. What struck us the most was the strength with which young people named the structural issues—racism, predatory marketing, targeted industry tactics—and (re)framed them through culture, love and resistance. When youth and young people lead messaging, the truth comes through clearly and with integrity.
The intensive also built practical skills: communication, filming, editing, leadership, teamwork and public health messaging. But more than that, it centred Indigenous love as a guiding value, love for community, for cultures, for languages, for Country, and for each other forging new friendships and professional partnerships across teams and the continent. That is the real heart of prevention.
As Oshan Shibasaki Newman from Torres Health reflected, “The chance to meet and connect with other Indigenous health promoters across the country sparked pride in what we do and how we do it. The workflow of the production proved our determination for change and creative building. I could see the benefits of this activity being done with youth and Elders. Something for our future generations to look back on and be proud of.” He went on to say, “We need local stars to be born from the shadows and give them the quality and light they deserve. Most of us in community work with what we’ve got. It could be taken two ways: that we can’t do enough, or we can do more.” Working alongside Grand Trine, he added, “…really opened my mind. Their level of experience and motivation spoke through their work. It was more than just making a music video.”
The week ended with a showcase screening of the campaign videos that left everyone in the room moved by the impact it would have and had already had on those who took part. It was creative work, yes, but it was also Nation building. Youth and young people showed up and showed what health promotion looks like when it’s grounded in culture, agency and lived experience. The narrative shifted away from deficits and towards truth, pride and collective strength.
Warraay Puthu reminds us that Indigenous-led knowledge translation for and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples isn’t a “nice to have”, it is essential. It delivers clarity, cultural authority and strong messages that cut through where standard public health approaches often fall short.
Youth and young people know what’s at stake. Youth and young people know the tactics used by the tobacco and nicotine industry. And they know exactly how to speak to other young people about it.
Our job now is to back them in.
Sara Sinclair. Ready. Quit. Solid.
Oshan Shibasaki Newman. Torres Health
Rashae King. Torres Health
Jasmin Allende. Na Joomelah
Tylah Mundine. Na Joomelah
Shane Allende. Na Joomelah
Raglan Maddox. Tobacco Free Program. Yardhura Walani. The Australian National University
Christina Heris. Tobacco Free Program. Yardhura Walani. The Australian National University