Tobacco Initiative Marks Weedless Wednesday 2005
For Release #05-09
Wednesday, Jan 19, 2005
WHITEHORSE -- For the second year in a row, Yukon students will join others across the north in viewing 12 of the best tobacco education television ads from around the world, and then voting on the one they feel is the most effective.
Youth in Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and the Yukon will participate in Smoke Screening II. The initiative was announced today by Health and Social Services Minister Peter Jenkins to recognize Weedless Wednesday in the Yukon.
Smoke Screening gives students the opportunity to review tobacco ads from around the world in their classrooms and then select the one they feel is the most effective.
"The most important part of this program is the follow-up in the classroom on how each ad addresses the issues," Jenkins said. "This discussion creates the opportunity to get young people thinking about not smoking and what is effective in helping them to not start, or to stop."
Students will view the ads between Feb. and April this year, with the winning ad announced on World No Tobacco Day on May 31. Last year, 4,600 students from across the north voted.
The minister said the ads selected for the Smoke Screening video take a variety of approaches to looking at tobacco use.
"We obviously don't want to frighten young people but we do want to give them an opportunity to look at the subject from different perspectives and think seriously about the decision to smoke or chew tobacco," Jenkins said.
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