Three new initiatives to reduce youth tobacco use were announced today to launch National Non-Smoking Week in the province.
Two graphic posters illustrating the toxic and addictive substances found in cigarettes and their harmful effects on the body were launched by the PEI Tobacco Reduction Alliance.
Health and Social Services Minister Mildred Dover advised that 5000 copies of each poster, will be distributed to junior and senior high schools across the province to encourage students to stop and think, on a daily basis, about the harmful effects of tobacco use.
"I am pleased with our collaborative efforts to show our youth that smoking is not glamorous and that the health consequences are severe," she said. "Many youth smoke because they believe that smoking is cool, when the truth is that more than half of young smokers today will die from a tobacco related disease. It is important that smoking is made less attractive to Island youth, and programs are available to assist students to develop the skills needed to eliminate tobacco use," advised Minister Dover.
Adapted with permission from the British Columbia Ministry of Health, posters show that a cigarette contains the same chemicals found in lock de-icer, tar, arsenic, lead, paint thinner, gas and battery fluid. Each cigarette contains over 4000 substances, more than 50 of them cancer causing. Poisonous compounds like nicotine hit the lungs, enter the bloodstream and begin to feed the cycle of addiction.
Research indicates that smoking is as addictive as cocaine and heroine. An individual who smokes one package of cigarettes a day will have a minimum of 90,000 puffs per year. No other addiction is reinforced that many times.
A new smoking cessation program "Tobacco Free Teens" is being offered in Island high schools for the first time to support students who need help to quit. Coordinated by the PEI Lung Association, the program will begin later this month in Athena and Kensington Intermediate and Senior High. Students will attend eight sessions over a four-week period.
Education Minister Chester Gillan indicated that with the introduction of smoke-free policies it is important to support students who choose to stop smoking. "It is essential that programs such as this one are available to help students look at their reasons for smoking. The Tobacco Free Teens program will help many students find practical strategies to reduce and eliminate tobacco use," he said.
Aleatha Pickering, facilitator of the Tobacco Free Teens program in Athena advised that the program is unique as each 50 minute session is held during the normal school day.
"The program is designed to meet the needs of students," she said. "Many students indicated it would be difficult to attend a program outside of school hours as their parents are not aware they smoke, " she said.
To encourage and support tobacco prevention activities, students from across the Island will initiate tobacco reduction activities in their school.
Five students from each high school will attend a workshop sponsored by Health Canada in February to discuss the effects of tobacco use. The students will work together to develop, implement and evaluate strategies to reduce tobacco use in their schools.
Francie MacDougall, Student Leadership Consultant for the Department of Education indicated that peers have a tremendous influence on each other.
"It is vital that youth are able to talk to each other about the deadly effects of tobacco use. It is important that we change the social environment so that young people do not begin using cigarettes," she said.
For further information on the new initiatives to reduce tobacco use please contact the Pat Charlton at 368-6133.