Highland reporter's Vape-Free Youth campaign up for national award

VOTE FOR IONA'S VAPE-FREE YOUTH CAMPAIGN HERE

Highland reporter, Iona M.J. MacDonald (17), has been nominated for a national award for her campaign Vape-Free Youth. Iona launched her investigative campaign into underage vaping after seeing a concerning rise in vaping amongst her peers.

The Vape-Free Youth campaign has been nominated for the Journalism Matters Making a Difference Award 2023, with voting now open until 5pm this Wednesday, November 1.

Iona’s first article was a piece of gonzo journalism that saw her going into Inverness city centre shops to see how many would sell her vapes without an ID. The article went viral and she was retweeted by prominent journalists and politicians from around the world, including the editor of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

She was then invited to a roundtable discussion with Central Scotland MSP Gillian Mackay, making important contributions in explaining the appeal and ease of access for teenagers. She is now digging even deeper into the issue, researching the environmental impact on vaping, as well as understanding how local schools are being affected.

Iona MacDonald said: "I am overjoyed to be nominated for the Journalism Matters Making a Difference Award 2023, especially to have my campaign alongside such powerful and important stories from all the other UK publications nominated.

"As a teenage reporter I could see the staggering rise in vaping amongst my peers, and the impact it was having on their health. Our voices need to be heard, and action needs to be taken.

"Being nominated for a national journalism award wasn't something I expected to happen in my career, never mind at age 17. I'm incredibly grateful for all the support from my community, Highland News and Media, friends, and family. It's an honour to represent the Highlands, women, and teenagers in this award nomination.

"Voting for the Vape-Free Youth campaign would help bring this issue to the forefront, because something needs to change."

You can vote for Iona's Vape-Free Youth campaign here, until 5pm this Wednesday, November 1.

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