News Release

2003-05
January 23, 2003
For Immediate Release

Government of Canada announces funding for a mass media campaign to increase smoking cessation rates in the Yukon

WHITEHORSE, Yukon - Larry Bagnell, Member of Parliament for the Yukon Territory announced today, on behalf of the Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Health, that the Government of Canada will contribute over $686,000 over three years to the Yukon's Department of Health and Social Services for a mass media campaign to increase smoking cessation rates in the Yukon. The campaign will support people of the Yukon in efforts to quit smoking. The mass media campaign will include radio, print, cinema slides, local cable rolling ads, and direct mail-out.

"The smoking rates of the Yukon are considerably higher than the rest of Canada. Recent statistics show that the Yukon has a smoking rate of 33.4 per cent." said MP Larry Bagnell. "Smokers need to be supported in their attempts to quit. The health of Canadians and our future generations depend on it."

In the spring of 2002, the Government of Yukon initiated its tobacco strategy to address the high smoking rates in the Yukon. Step 1 of the strategy, launched in May 2002, was a media campaign to encourage smokers to think about their smoking behaviours.

This funding from the Tobacco Control Programme will enhance the campaign set out by the Government of Yukon's tobacco strategy, and provide a multi-layered approach to this campaign.

Yesterday, in Ottawa, Health Minister Anne McLellan announced the details of $5 million in funding for regional and local mass media campaigns. These initiatives will support smokers who want to quit smoking while aiming to reduce Canadians' exposure to second-hand smoke. In addition, Health Canada will also provide funding over three years to support the development and improvement of regional telephone cessation quitlines.

Funding for this project was provided for in the December 2001 budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework.

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Media Inquiries:
Jirina Vlk
Health Canada
(613) 957-2988

Farah Mohamed
Office of Anne McLellan
Minister of Health
(613) 957-1694

Public Inquiries:
(613) 957-2991