Health and Social Services Minister Jamie Ballem advised today that findings of a national survey show fewer Island youth smoking.
Designed to track changes in smoking rates especially among youth, the Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey shows that 25 percent fewer Island youth smoked in 2000 than in1999 with rates falling from 28 percent to 21 percent for youth aged 15-19.
The survey of more than 2000 Islanders in January and February 2000 also revealed that fewer Island children are being regularly exposed to second-hand smoke in their home, with rates falling from 44 percent in 1996-1997 to 27 percent in 2000, representing the greatest reduction in children exposed to second-hand smoke in Canada.
Minister Ballem advised that we are now seeing the results of the multiple strategies used by the PEI Tobacco Reduction Alliance to reduce tobacco use, especially among Island youth. "The past two years have shown that, by working together, Government and community groups can effectively impact smoking rates and address the enormous health consequences of tobacco use in PEI."
Members of the Alliance focused major effort over the past two years on school based activities.
Vicki Francis, co-chair of the PEI Tobacco Reduction Alliance and Executive Director of the PEI Division of the Canadian Cancer Society, advised that, as part of the Alliance's strategy, high school students are participating in smoking cessation programs, talking to one another about the deadly effects of tobacco use as part of student clubs and displaying graphic posters showing the toxic and addictive substances found in cigarettes. "These strategies combined with the smoke-free policies implemented by school boards across PEI are having a significant impact on reducing the number of Island youth who smoke."
Alliance members also distributed more than 20,000 "smoke-free home" signs to encourage Islanders to make their homes smoke-free.
"It is the combination of a number of strategies working together that appear to be having an impact on youth smoking rates," said Ms. Francis.
The Alliance, over the coming year, will continue to focus on strategies to reduce smoking among youth and work with Government to promote smoking cessation programs while broadening their strategy to encourage workplaces to establish smoke-free policies.
For more information on tobacco reduction, please contact Vicki Francis, PEI Division of the Canadian Cancer Society, 566-4007 or Lisa Shaffer, co-chair, PEI Tobacco Reduction Alliance.