WHITEHORSE – Yukon students in Grades 5 through 12 have once again picked the most effective tobacco education commercial from around the world.
Every year, as part of the May 31 World No Tobacco Day initiative of the World Health Organization, Yukon students join fellow students across the North to review 12 of the best tobacco education television ads from around the world and vote on which they find the most effective. This year, 12 Yukon schools participated in the challenge.
This year’s winning commercial is “Sponge.” It shows the tar inhaled and accumulated in a smoker’s lungs and draws attention to the fact that smoking damages lungs.
“This is the sixth year our Health Promotion unit has worked with its partners in NWT and Nunavut to organize this interactive educational campaign,” Health and Social Services Minister Glenn Hart said today. “Every year, the campaign reaches hundreds of students, encouraging critical thinking about the tobacco industry and the risks of tobacco use.”
Students participating in Smoke Screening VI were entered into a draw for an iPod nano. This year’s winner is Anja Aird from the Grade 7 class at Christ the King Elementary School in Whitehorse. Participating teachers were entered into a draw for a teacher’s gift basket, and this year’s winner is Chelsea Jackson from the Ghucĥ Tlâ Community School in Carcross.
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See background information below.
| Contact: | |
| Emily Younker Cabinet Communications 867-633-7961 emily.younker@gov.yk.ca | Marcelle Dubé Communications, Health and Social Services 867-667-3010 marcelle.dube@gov.yk.ca |
| Mark Nassiopoulos Health Promotion Coordinator 867-393-6282 mark.nassiopoulos@gov.yk.ca |
Smoke Screening VI, Cessation and Prevention Initiatives
The vote breakdown for all 12 Smoke Screening VI commercials is as follows:
| TITLE | VOTES | TITLE | VOTES | |
| Sponge | 237 votes | Zita | 54 votes | |
| It’s like they are smoking | 127 votes | Off to school | 39 votes | |
| Carotid Artery | 111 votes | Demon Awards | 13 votes | |
| Street Vendor | 67 votes | In their own words | 10 votes | |
| Bronchoscopy | 61 votes | Bull Rider | 6 votes | |
| Friend | 56 votes | Reverse Psychology | 5 votes |
The Department of Health and Social Services’ Health Promotion unit provides help to smokers who want to become smoke-free.
This year, health promotion coordinators facilitated tobacco education presentations in 28 Yukon classrooms. The presentations included facts on health effects, a trivia game, and teaching refusal skills.
Health Promotion unit offers the QuitPack program to all Yukon smokers who want to become smoke-free. The program offers tools and resources to teach smokers about the quitting process and help them plan and manage a quit attempt.
On May 15, 2008 the Yukon Smoke-free Places Act came into effect. This legislation not only protects those who are exposed to second-hand smoke, but also helps smokers who are trying to become smoke-free by providing them with smoke-free environments.
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