This is a story about a group of friends who, seeking adventure and a way to make some quick cash, find themselves exploited into delivering vapes filled with an illegal substance. As they dive deeper into this risky operation, they soon come to a harsh realisation: the money isn’t as easy to earn as they thought, and the contents of the vapes pose serious dangers to their health and safety.

Christina Gabbitas is known for her books and campaigns addressing various important topics for children and young people, including:
County lines and knife crime: “No More Knives County Lines” and “Trapped in County Lines” were both finalists in TPBP in 2020 and 2023.
Christina’s dedication to children’s literature and advocacy has earned her numerous accolades:
Honorary Member of the NSPCC Council for her contributions to child protection and fundraising efforts.
Coronation Champion and recipient of a Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award in 2023 for her work with the Children’s Literature Festival charity. Winner of the Dame Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award in 2015 for her national eight-line rhyme initiative, which encouraged children to engage with poetry.
Christina’s Book “Share Some Secrets” won TPBP Best Achievement Award in 2019, the story encourages children to speak out about abuse and differentiate between good and troublesome secrets. The book is endorsed by the NSPCC and Barnardo’s.

Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe:
“I’m really pleased my office has been able to help fund the production of this important story written by Christina,
supporting the project led by the Nuneaton and Bedworth Community Safety Partnership.
The powerful story it tells fits perfectly with my Police and Crime Plan’s aim to keep people
safe by tackling exploitation and reducing the harm caused by substance misuse.
Protecting young people and addressing the serious dangers linked to exploitation and
substance misuse is absolutely vital. With backing from Community Safety Partnerships
countywide, this animated story will be rolled out across Warwickshire as a powerful tool to
raise awareness, help young people understand the risks around vaping and exploitation, and
make our communities safer for everyone.”

Christopher Cook – Detective Chief Inspector at Warwickshire Police
“This is not a far-fetched story or tale but the reality of what education, safeguarding and law enforcement teams are seeing up and down the country on a daily basis. This short animation brings that reality home in an engaging way. It covers several intrinsically linked, complex scenarios from the initial grooming in child exploitation to the dangers it presents, whether that be social environments, drug running, serious health issues and now of course, the vaping culture – you just don’t know what’s in them and the harm they can do! I’m sure that this will resonate amongst children and young people and they will be able to spot the signs of exploitation, whether it is happening to them or someone they know.”

Steve Croshaw – Community Safety Project Manager, Warwickshire County Council
“This comic strip vividly illustrates the harm that can occur, telling a powerful story about how a seemingly fun day with friends can quickly escalate into a dangerous situation. The main message is clear: what you can’t see in vapes can hurt you, and the consequences can be serious and long-lasting.”

Professor Marion Lynch BEM – Public Health Specialist and Mental Health Nurse
“Vaping may seem harmless because the dangers are often hidden, but it can cause serious damage to your body that is difficult to repair. Stay smart, and don’t let curiosity lead you or your friends into harm’s way. Remember, you don’t need vaping scars.”

Nick Burnett – Police Officer, Devon and Cornwall Police
“Vaping Scars is an outstanding animated and in print short story that effectively highlights the critical issues surrounding vaping and its impact on teenagers. It captures the attention and raises awareness about the dangers that are often overlooked. Well done, Christina, on this fantastic piece of work! Your dedication to educating young people is commendable!”

Anne Rannard D/Inspector Continuous Improvement Team National County Lines
Coordination Centre
“Well done Christina on developing this comic strip. It’s a brilliant way of conveying some important messages to raise awareness of the subtleties of exploitation, the reality of peer pressure and the dangers associated with vaping – you just don’t know what’s in them.
Hopefully this will be of interest and benefit to many young people to support them to recognise when they or their friends might be exploited and to support them to stay safe.”