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Nicofiends activity

Create Your Nicofiend

A creative activity where children and young people design a Nicofiend character inspired by pressure, influence or choice. Designs can be used as entries for the national Nicofiends competition.

What it explores

Pressure, feelings, messages and marketing methods that can make smoking, vaping or nicotine appear normal, tempting or harmless.
Time
Flexible
Age
Ages 8 to 18
Setting
Classroom, Youth group, Community setting, At home
Group size
Individual, pairs or small groups

Activity at a glance

Best for

Creativity, confidence, campaign entries and opening discussion.

You’ll need

Plain paper or Nicofiend character sheets, pens, pencils, colouring materials and optional collage materials such as magazines, scrap paper, stickers or card.
printable materials

Key message

A Nicofiend represents a pressure, feeling, message or marketing trick. Spotting that influence can help young people question it and make their own choices.

How to run it

  • Explain that a Nicofiend is a character that represents a pressure, feeling, message, product or post that can make smoking, vaping or nicotine products seem normal, tempting or harmless.

  • Ask participants to create a character representing one pressure, feeling, message or marketing trick. The character should represent the influence rather than a person who smokes or vapes.

  • Invite each person to draw or create their own Nicofiend character and give it a name.

  • Ask them to add one short line explaining what their Nicofiend does. For example: “It tells people everyone else is doing it” or “It makes something look harmless when it is not.”

  • Explain that children and young people across Wales can enter their designs into the national Nicofiends competition. Winning character ideas may be adapted or developed for official Nicofiends campaign materials in 2027 and later.

  • Give time at the end for volunteers to share their character, name or idea if they want to.

Discussion prompts

  • What idea inspired your Nicofiend?
  • What does your Nicofiend say or do?
  • How might someone notice this pressure in real life?
  • What could help someone pause before following it?
  • What would your Nicofiend’s weakness be?

Reflection

This activity helps children and young people use creativity to talk about pressure and influence in a safer, less personal way. It supports them to notice what can affect choices and think about how to respond.

Finished designs can be entered into the national Nicofiends competition. Visit the competition page for entry rules, consent information and submission details.

 

Link To Smoking, Vaping or Nicotine

Create Your Nicofiend links to the pressures, tricks and feelings that can pull young people into smoking, vaping or nicotine use.

A Nicofiend might be inspired by peer pressure, boredom, stress, packaging, social media, flavours, group chats or someone saying, “go on, just try it.”

The activity helps children and young people spot those pressures by turning them into something they can see, name and challenge.

Adapting the activity

Make it Easier

Give younger children simple prompts, such as “a monster that says try it”, “a monster that copies friends” or “a monster that makes something look shiny and fun”. They can focus on drawing, naming and describing their character in one sentence.

Make it Harder

Ask older young people to take their character further by adding a short slogan or campaign message. The Nicofiend character should remain the main part of the idea.

Safety Note

Keep characters fictional. Do not base them on a real person or use them to blame people who smoke, vape or experience nicotine dependence. No one needs to discuss their own or their family’s experiences.

Ready to Run The Acitvity

Download the activity PDF or go back to the resource hub to find another activity.

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