The following is being released at the request of the Alliance for the Control of Tobacco:

New youth smoking prevention mass media campaign launched

Education Minister Tom Hedderson and the Alliance for the Control of Tobacco (ACT) today launched a new mass media campaign aimed at preventing young people from starting to smoke. The campaign, funded by the Tobacco Control Program of Health Canada, will consist of television and radio ads with the tagline, You�re a Target � Don�t Let �Em Get You. In addition, Grade 7-12 teachers and students around the province will be receiving information kits that build on the theme of the campaign.

�It is critical that our young people understand the hazards of smoking and second hand smoke,� said Education Minister Tom Hedderson. �Eighty-five per cent of smokers start smoking before the age of 16. Therefore, if we can get the message across to our intermediate and high school students, we can influence a whole generation of potential smokers, and encourage them to say no. I commend the Alliance for the Control of Tobacco for their continued dedication to ensuring the young people of this province understand the dangers associated with smoking.�

Health and Community Services Minister John Ottenheimer said we are beginning to see progress from the measures government has taken to reduce the rate of smoking among the youth of this province. The smoking rate for 15 to 19 year olds in Newfoundland and Labrador has decreased by nine per cent since 1999.

ACT Chairman Gary Milley said that the campaign is designed to educate and inform young people to make wise decisions when it comes to smoking and tobacco. �While we know that only 22 per cent of our youth population is smoking, we need to get the message to all young people that smoking is not cool, is not the norm and that healthy living and being smoke-free is the smart choice,� said Mr. Milley.

The You�re a Target campaign will be running on television and radio from October 2005 to February 2006. Resource materials will be used in all grades 7-12 classrooms throughout the remainder of this school year and will continue to be available in future years. ACT plans to have similar resources available to all K-6 teachers and students by January 2006.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Alliance for the Control of Tobacco is comprised of partners who work on implementing the provincial tobacco reduction strategy throughout the various regions of the province. These partners are many and varied and their work is essential to our province�s effort to reduce the negative effects of tobacco use on its people.

Media contact:

Kevin Coady, Executive Director, Alliance for the Control of Tobacco, (709) 753-0079
Nora Daly, Communications, Department of Education, (709) 729-1906

2005 10 17                            10:35 a.m.