Between March and June 2023 we asked young people to help us understand why people smoke and vape in Greater Bendigo. We used a Let's Talk survey and visited schools to support students to fill out the survey.

• Five school engagement sessions were held reaching approximately 180 young people
• Of the responses received via the survey 70 per cent we aged 10-14 years
• Overall, 92 per cent of responses were from people aged 0-24 years

Young people were consistent in their thoughts on what they’d like to see happen to reduce vaping and smoking rates in Greater Bendigo. They asked for vapes and smokes to be banned, bans in public spaces, and restricting sales of tobacco products.

We asked students to think about places, spaces or areas that they spend time in with friends or family, and list those that they would like to become smoke and vape free. The top five responses were:

1. Anywhere, alleyways, Bendigo, public places, bush, near people walking down the street
2. Bus, bus stops, public transport, transport, train or tram
3. Parks, gardens, Lake Weeroona, Lake Neangar
4. Markets e.g. Sunday market
5. Places where children gather e.g. playground, not near kids

Thank you to everyone who participated and provided feedback. A special thanks to schools in the Greater Bendigo region who participated in the survey and engagement sessions. Work will continue to expand on the outcomes and learnings from this project.