Windsor-Essex students have come through in a big way to encourage each other not to vape.
Earlier this year, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit launched the Break the Vape Challenge PSA contest, where students in grades six to 12 were encouraged to produce a video that raised awareness about vaping and its dangers.
The health unit revealed the winners on Friday.
In the grade six-to-eight category, the winners were as follows, according to rank.
Echappe le vape, from École élémentaire catholique Saint-Edmond.
Escape the Vape, from St. John the Baptist Catholic Elementary School
Stop the Peer Pressure, St. John the Baptist Catholic Elementary School
The videos All Net, Don't Regret, and It's not me it's you, were chosen as runner-up videos.
École élémentaire catholique Saint-Edmond won the award for the highest percentage of participating students in this category.
The winners for the grade nine-to-12 category are as follows, in ranked order.
Break the Vape for Mental and Physical Health, from St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic Secondary School
Anti-Vape PSA, from Catholic Central High School
I was told it was trendy..., from Assumption College Catholic High School
The videos Message de Maya, and Frappe la vappe, were chosen as runner-ups.
Ecole secondaire catholique EJ Lajeunesse won the highest-percentage participation award for this category.
Over 100 videos were submitted from 27 schools across Windsor-Essex. The health unit worked with youth judges to narrow the submissions down through three rounds of voting. Then, a round of public voting determined the first, second, and third-place winners in each category.
The health unit reported over 2,700 votes being recorded.