The Human Environments Analysis Laboratory (HEAL) team releases new short film for the IHDCYH (Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health) Talks Competition Videos:
Teens Talk Vaping is a research project funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to better understand the place of vaping (e-cigarettes) in the everyday lives of Canadian teens. Taking a ‘by-youth-for-youth’ approach, a key feature of the project is inclusion of teens trained as ‘co-researchers’ to meaningfully contribute to all aspects of the study, from data collection, to analysis, to dissemination. This short film, created by several teen co-researchers, shares key themes derived from teen-led focus groups conducted with teens aged 13-19 years from across Canada. To bring viewers into teens’ perspectives and experiences, the film takes a first-person view, following a ‘day in the life’ through the eyes of a high schooler going through the motions of a typical day – from attending school where they are exposed to vaping in the washrooms, to party culture on the weekend where vaping is a prevalent activity, to social media where vaping content in omnipresent. By anonymizing the figure and evoking an emotional journey, the film captures some of the tensions teens face in navigating vaping opportunities and decisions in different everyday environments.
The film is dedicated in memory of Dr. Eugenia Canas.