As a part of government�s commitment to the Tobacco Reduction Strategy and wellness promotion, two new tobacco retailer signs will be placed in retail stores selling tobacco products. The signs are intended to restrict youth access to tobacco products by informing and reminding the public that it is illegal to provide or sell tobacco products to minors. These signs, which will be placed in the stores over the coming week, also promote being smoke-free as the healthy choice for all.

"Government has taken an integrated approach to tobacco control that includes public education and awareness, legislation, enforcement, community and school based programs, and supports for people to quit smoking," said the Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Health and Community Services. "We will continue to invest in smoke-free promotion, such as these new retail signs, and engage with our tobacco control partners to build on our initiatives and to create a healthy, smoke-free province."

The Tobacco Control Act prohibits retailers or other persons to sell, give or furnish, directly or indirectly, tobacco to a person under the age of 19. However, according to the 2004 Youth Smoking Survey, 91 per cent of youth who smoke in grades 5 to 9 obtained their cigarettes from a sibling, parent, family member, friend or bought them from a friend or someone else.

The new signs were developed in consultation with tobacco retailers, youth and community organizations with an interest in tobacco control.

"Currently 79 per cent of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are living smoke-free which demonstrates the progress we are making in tobacco control," said Minister Wiseman. "In Budget 2006 we invested $3.7 million in wellness promotion to encourage healthy lifestyles, which includes a focus on staying smoke-free as one of the key directions of the Provincial Wellness Plan."

Active participation in sport and physical recreational activities is one positive way to help children and young people successfully handle the social and peer pressure to use tobacco. Government recognizes the importance of encouraging healthy lifestyle choices for youth.

"There are lasting benefits for youth who choose to maintain good health through physical exercise while rejecting the appeal of tobacco," said the Honourable Shawn Skinner, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment. "We want to ensure that young people have the opportunity to participate in a variety of sport and recreation activities and we encourage this through my department�s $250,000 sponsorship of the Jumpstart program which helps 3,000 financially disadvantaged children and young people from across the province get access to such programs."

To build on the successful implementation of the Smoke Free Environment Act, 2005, government is reviewing other initiatives with its tobacco control partners as part of the three-year Provincial Tobacco Reduction Strategy, including the potential elimination of "power walls" � large tobacco product display stands behind store counters.

Government unveiled the Provincial Wellness Plan in March 2006. Phase I of the plan is currently being implemented and will focus on some key areas, including: healthy eating, physical activity, tobacco control, and injury prevention. Phase II will consider other wellness priority areas such as mental health promotion, child and youth development, environmental health and health protection. Key initiatives of the Wellness Plan introduced to date include Healthy Students, Healthy Schools, the School Food Guidelines and the Provincial Wellness Grants Program whereby government announced $695,000 in funding to support 24 community groups and organizations in promoting the benefits of healthy living.

To view the new tobacco retailer signs visit
//www.gov.nl.ca/releases/2007/health/0221poster1.pdf and //www.gov.nl.ca/releases/2007/health/0221poster2.pdf 

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2007 02 21                                                     11:00 a.m.