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FOR RELEASE     #08-131
May 30, 2008

Students Choose the TV's Best Tobacco Education Advertisements

WHITEHORSE – Yukon students in Grades Five through 12 have once again made their choice for the most effective tobacco education television advertisement from around the world.

Every year, as part of the World Health Organization’s May 31 World No Tobacco Day initiative, Yukon students join with students in Nunavut and Northwest Territories 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, 19 Yukon schools participated in the challenge.

This year’s winning commercial is “Artery.” It shows the plaque-clogged artery of a 32-year-old smoker and draws attention to the fact that smoking contributes to heart disease and stroke, which can affect smokers at any age.

“This is the fifth year our department’s Health Promotion unit has organized this educational campaign,” Health and Social Services Minister Brad Cathers said today. “It encourages classroom discussion and gives kids a clearer understanding of the dangers of using tobacco. We know we need to get our messages out to kids at a younger and younger age and this is one way of making our messages interactive in a positive way.”

Students participating in Smoke Screening 5 were entered into a draw for an IPod nano. This year’s winner is Savannah Goodman from the Grade Six class at Jack Hulland Elementary School in Whitehorse. Participating teachers were entered into a draw for a digital camera, and this year’s winner is Barbara Kaminecki from the Del Van Gorder School in Faro.
 
Below: Backgrounder

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BACKGROUNDER

SMOKE SCREENING V AND CESSATION AND PREVENTION INITIATIVES

The vote breakdown for all 12 Smoke Screening V commercials is as follows:

The Health Promotion Unit provides help to smokers who want to become smoke-free.

This year, Health Promotion Coordinators facilitated tobacco education presentations in 34 Yukon classrooms. The presentations included facts on health effects, a trivia game, and teaching refusal skills.

Health Promotion 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 quit process and help them plan and manage a quit attempt. The program recognizes that quitting is a process and helps people through that process.

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 helps smokers who are trying to become smoke-free by providing them with smoke-free environments.

• Last Updated: 5/30/2008 |
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