Health and wellbeing
Theatre production set to tour Walsall schools to tackle smoking and vaping
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A theatre production on smoking and vaping prevention is set to tour secondary schools across Walsall this November and December, following its success last year when it engaged nearly 3,400 pupils.
Commissioned by Walsall Council Public Health, ‘Hooked’, a production by Performance in Education, will tour up to 25 secondary schools in Walsall this year, engaging young people in Years 7 to 9 in conversations about smoking, vaping and nicotine addiction. It also explores the short and long-term effects of health harms caused by smoking, the potential dangers and links to crime, creates real-life strategies to resist peer pressure to smoke or vape and encourages pupils to share what they have learnt with their parents and other family members.
Last year, 3,393 pupils watched the production and took part in follow-up educational sessions, with 99% of pupils enjoying the performance. Evaluation showed improved understanding of the harms associated with smoking and vaping, with more pupils recognising vaping as not risk-free. Following the performance, Be Well Walsall was identified by pupils as the service they were most likely to approach for support to stop smoking, while 24% said the event had encouraged them to stop smoking or help a friend to stop.
Teachers also reported positive outcomes, with all surveyed teachers saying the presentation was beneficial, pitched at the right level and would help them talk to pupils about the dangers of nicotine products and the pressures young people may experience to start using them. All teachers said they would recommend the event to other schools.
Smoking and vaping prevention remains an important public health priority. Although youth vaping rates have stabilised nationally, Walsall’s higher smoking prevalence at 15.3% means education and prevention remain important to help young people understand the risks associated with both smoking and vaping. While regulated vapes can help people who smoke to quit, vaping is not risk-free and should not be used by children, young people or adults who have never smoked. Public health advice remains simple: if you do not smoke, do not vape. Programmes such as Hooked help young people understand the risks associated with nicotine addiction, challenge common misconceptions and give them the confidence to make informed choices.
“ Young people are faced with a growing number of influences and pressures, both online and in everyday life. It is important that they have access to accurate information that helps them make informed choices about their health and wellbeing. Hooked uses an engaging and relatable approach to raise awareness of the risks associated with smoking and vaping, while encouraging young people to think critically about nicotine addiction and peer pressure. We are pleased to support its return to schools across Walsall following such positive feedback from pupils and teachers last year. “
The production comes ahead of the introduction of the UK's smokefree generation legislation on 1 January 2027. Under the new law, anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will never legally be able to be sold tobacco products, helping to protect future generations from the harms of smoking and nicotine addiction. The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 also includes measures to reduce the appeal of vaping products to children and young people.
Alongside prevention work with young people, a range of stop smoking services are available across Walsall for residents who want to quit, supporting local efforts to create a smokefree generation.
Be Well Walsall offers free stop smoking support through face-to-face, telephone and digital appointments, with access to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and regulated vapes where appropriate. Support to stop vaping is also available. Call 01922 444044.
Quit with Bella provides online support, advisor guidance and access to stop smoking aids delivered by post. Call 0800 772 3872 or email walsall.stopsmoking@nhs.net.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust provides specialist support through its Stop Smoking in Pregnancy Service for pregnant women and their partners (01922 270477) and its Tobacco Dependency Service for hospital patients (wht.tdt@nhs.net).
Specialist support for mental health inpatients is available through Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Further information on the survey carried out as part of the theatre production:
- The survey findings indicate that the majority of pupils have never smoked or vaped. However, vaping is considerably more prevalent than smoking and appears to be the primary nicotine-related concern among young people. Within the vaping survey, 85.9% of pupils reported never having vaped, meaning around one in seven have at least experimented with vaping. Daily vaping remains relatively low overall (2.4%) but increases among older pupils, particularly Year 10 males. Around 30% of pupils reported that a parent or carer vapes, suggesting that vaping is a visible behaviour in many households.
- The most common age of first experimentation is between 11 and 13 years, highlighting the importance of preventative education before transition to secondary school. Social supply appears to be a key source of access, with pupils most commonly obtaining vapes through friends or family members rather than purchasing them directly.
- Encouragingly, many pupils who have experimented with vaping do not become regular users, and a proportion report having already stopped. While current smoking rates remain lower than vaping rates, both behaviours continue to be influenced by social factors, peer relationships and family environments.
- Overall, the findings support a continued focus on prevention, early intervention, retailer compliance, family engagement and school-based education to reduce nicotine use and prevent progression to regular vaping or smoking.
