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Schools, youth groups, families and communities

Meet the Nicofiends

A creative ASH Wales campaign helping children and young people spot the pressures that can pull them into smoking, vaping or nicotine.

Download resources
Enter the competition

Use ready to run sessions, quick activities and creative challenges to help young people spot pressure early and make their own choices.

What's Influencing Young People?

Nicotine use doesn’t usually begin with one big decision. It starts with curiosity, stress, boredom, wanting to fit in, a message online, bright packaging, sweet flavours or someone saying, “go on, just try it.” 

Quick start guide

Where to start?

Whether you are a teacher, youth worker, parent, carer or community partner, there is a simple way to use Nicofiends with young people.

For schools

Run a lesson

Use the primary or secondary school packs for a ready to run session with slides, guidance and activity sheets.

View school packs
For youth groups

Pick an activity

Choose one quick activity for a short session, or download the full youth activity pack if you want everything together.

Download youth pack
For families

Enter at home

Children and young people can create a Nicofiend character or campaign poster at home and send it in with adult permission.

Enter the competition
For quick sessions

Browse activities

Use the activity bank for quick games, creative challenges and discussion activities that do not feel like a formal lesson.

Browse activities
Quick tip: schools may prefer the lesson packs, youth groups may prefer the activity bank, and families may want to go straight to the competition.
National Competition

Create your own Nicofiend

Children and young people across Wales are invited to take part in in our national competition.

Create a Nicofiend character or campaign poster to help young people spot pressure linked to smoking, vaping and nicotine.

Closes Friday 4 December 2026

Enter Now

Prize

Twelve winning entries will help shape the official Nicofiends campaign in 2027. Each winner will receive a small prize bundle, certificate and voucher.

Why this campaign matters

Nicotine use does not usually begin with one big decision. It can start with curiosity, stress, boredom, wanting to fit in, packaging, social media or someone saying, “go on, just try it.”

Nicofiends gives schools, youth groups and families a creative way to help young people spot pressure, question influence and feel more confident making their own choices.

Nicofiend

[ nik-oh-feend ] | noun

a character that shows the pressures, tricks or feelings that can pull young people into smoking, vaping or nicotine use.

Nicofiends helps young people explore:

  • How pressure can build around smoking, vaping and nicotine products
  • How marketing can sell a feeling rather than the full picture
  • How social media can make something feel more common than it is
  • How nicotine can become hard to stop
  • How to pause, question and respond
For schools

Ready to use in class

Schools can take part by running a Nicofiends session, downloading the resources and inviting pupils to create their own campaign characters.

Primary school pack

Key Stage 2 pupils explore pressure, feelings and choices through a creative Nicofiends activity.

Download primary pack

Secondary school pack

Year 7 to 9 pupils explore influence, marketing, nicotine products and social pressure.

Download secondary pack

Quick Activities

All of the quick activities on this page can be used in youth groups, community settings or informal sessions with young people. The activities are flexible, easy to run and designed to help young people explore pressure, influence, confidence and choice without it feeling like a classroom lesson.

Cup Choice

A quick guessing game about peer pressure, confidence and group influence.

View activity

Hype Lab

A creative activity exploring how marketing can make ordinary things seem exciting, popular or hard to ignore.

View activity

Power Up Tower

A team tower challenge about tempting offers, hidden catches and quick decisions.

View activity

VIP Room

A group guessing game about fitting in, hidden rules and what can feel accepted in a group.

View activity

Mystery Auction

A bidding game about hype, missing information and group decision making.

View activity

Pressure Postcards

Read a postcard from a Nicofiend, spot the pressure trick and decide what someone could say, think or do.

View activity

Choice Compass

A simple trail activity where young people build their own plan for handling pressure.

View activity

What’s Missing?

Look at real adverts and spot what is being shown, what feeling is being sold and what information is missing.

View activity

Create Your Nicofiend

Design a Nicofiend character that shows a pressure, feeling or message linked to smoking, vaping or nicotine.

View activity
No activities match that search or filter. Try a different topic.

Want all the activities?

Download the full activity pack with the quick games, creative challenges and printable sheets in one place.

Download full activity pack

Need help?

Questions about Nicofiends, resources or competition entries? Email communications@ashwales.org.uk