Trent Hall says he started hanging with a bad gang in Logan, south of Brisbane, to take his mind off family issues.

Key points: Knife-related crimes in Queensland have skyrocketed by more than 40 per cent in the past five years

Knife-related crimes in Queensland have skyrocketed by more than 40 per cent in the past five years In the last financial year alone, there were 24,687 reported offences

In the last financial year alone, there were 24,687 reported offences An education campaign is being run in schools, community groups and general outreach by local youth mentors

The 17-year-old said carrying a knife became normal practice, as a way of protection and status.

"You just carry that because you feel like you're on top of the world and no one can stop you," he said.

But he has also witnessed how easily a knife can escalate a situation, or get turned back on the person carrying it.

"I was with a mate, and we were just walking around and he was doing a bad deal," he said.

"He pulled out a knife and the knife actually got turned around and put on him.

"He got stabbed once in the leg, twice in the back. I don't know where he is now."

Ms Smith and Mr Hall attend the Woodridge skate park in a bid to reach youth and help reduce knife crime. ( ABC News: Melanie Vujkovic )

Trent said he soon realised it was not worth it, and now volunteers at the local PCYC.

"I had a look one day and was like 'why am I doing this?'," he said.

"There's just no good in it. There's no good me carrying a knife.

"The amount of times I've had police knock on my door. I just didn't want to do it anymore, I've had enough and I stopped.

"I've seen stuff, I've heard stuff, just don't risk your life with a knife."

Mr Hall once ran with the wrong crowd but now volunteers at the Logan PCYC. ( ABC News: Melanie Vujkovic )

'We needed to act swiftly'

Statewide figures released to the ABC by the Queensland Police Service reveal over the past five years there has been a 40 per cent increase in the use of knives as the weapon of choice in homicides, manslaughter, assault and domestic violence incidents.

In the last financial year alone, there were 24,687 reported offences of that kind — up from 17,308 in 2014/15.

Logan Acting Detective Inspector Ken Murray said knife crime was a symptom of "people carrying knives".

Acting Detective Inspector Murray launched the knife crime prevention initiative after noticing a spike in youths carrying knives. ( ABC News: Melanie Vujkovic )

"Whilst we concentrate on the crime, and the harm that can be done, what is important to concentrate on is the people carrying the knives," he said.

"Without that knife on them, without them being able to choose, or make that bad choice to have that knife there, and to use it, knife crime won't exist."

Acting Detective Inspector Murray said anecdotally he had seen a dramatic increase in the number of people intercepted on the streets with knives in Logan, particularly among adults aged between 18 and 24 years.

He decided to take action by kick-starting a new initiative focused on educating the public on the laws and raising awareness of the risks involved.

The campaign, which has been running for just over a month, has been all about education in schools, community groups and general outreach by local youth mentors.

"Knife crime is a difficult topic. I have noticed that. It does raise issues in our society," he said.

"It was something that myself personally, I thought we needed to act swiftly. We needed to change values in our society that it's not okay to carry a knife."

As part of the campaign, police have also increased patrols in the area, looking at possession of knives with more intensity and taking firm action.

Police are reporting who has a knife, why, and what types of knives.

"So by the end of the campaign we will have a better picture of what's actually going on," Acting Detective Inspector Murray said.

Ms Smith and Mr Hall hand out brochures as part of the campaign. ( ABC News: Melanie Vujkovic )

PCYC Safer Communities Coordinator and youth mentor Codie Smith had been promoting the campaign with flyers and brochures.

"Many of the youth that I've been talking to ... have been coming up to me saying, 'we didn't know you could get a $5,000 fine'," she said.

"A lot of the kids aren't educated in knife crime, so it's important for us to be in the schools, at the skateparks and just educating the kids and the young adults that you can be fined, you can be caught, you can risk your life — you stab someone you can go to juvey.

"Some of them have gone and told their mates, 'hey get that knife out of your bag, it's not cool, you're going to get in trouble if you get caught with that'."