Manitoba students in grades 6 to 12 chose a 30-second TV commercial that warns youth about the dangers of second-hand smoke as the most effective anti-tobacco ad in the 2011 Review and Rate Program. This announcement was made by Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors Minister Jim Rondeau and Education Minister Nancy Allan.
“The participation of students ensures the ad is the most effective at keeping young people from smoking,” Rondeau said. “We congratulate all of the participants for their wisdom and enthusiasm in supporting this important cause.”
The Review and Rate Program, now in its seventh year, is one of many provincial initiatives to help Manitobans make wise choices about tobacco use, Allan said.
“More than 21,000 students and teachers from 313 schools across the province reviewed 15 ads and took part in classroom discussions as part of our Review and Rate Program, before selecting an ad called Drive as the winning entry,” said Allan.
Rondeau noted that smoking rates among those 15 to 19 years of age in Manitoba have declined to 18 per cent in 2009 from 29 per cent in 1999 (Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey).
“We are focusing on providing Manitobans with the information and support they need to make educated decisions about tobacco use,” said Rondeau. “Our innovative strategies are making a difference, helping Manitobans quit a dangerous habit or never to start one.”
The program will be expanded during the next school year, allowing students to make their own TV commercials and challenging them to think through their concepts, develop scripts and edit the videos, Rondeau said. The ads will be used in the classroom as starting points for discussion on tobacco use from a youth perspective.
The province has also recently expanded the Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) program to more high schools, with plans for further expansion in the fall. SWAT teams employ a peer-to-peer approach for reaching students with effective messaging and hands-on techniques to communicate accurate information on tobacco use.
The first Manitoba Quits contest, which was run by the Manitoba Lung Association, encouraged 1,580 people to kick the smoking habit. Contestants had to remain smoke-free between May 4 and 31 to qualify for the prize draw. Winners signed declarations stating they remained smoke-free during the contest quit period and underwent urine tests and/or carbon monoxide to confirm their new smoke-free status.
“The annual death toll from the global epidemic of tobacco use could rise to eight million by 2030 and could kill as many as one billion during the 21st century if it isn’t reversed,” Rondeau said. “That’s why the province partnered with the Manitoba Lung Association to launch Manitoba Quits, which offered $10,000 in prizes to people who quit smoking in May this year.”
Manitoba Quits was funded by Manitoba Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors and prizes were donated by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a wholly owned division of Johnson and Johnson.
Worldwide, tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death. This year, more than five million people will die from a tobacco-related heart attack, stroke, cancer, lung ailment or related disease. In addition, more than 600,000 people, more than one-quarter of them children, will die from exposure to second-hand smoke.
The winning ad in the Review and Rate Program is being aired on local television stations during June. The ad was produced and is owned by the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco. It is a humorous take on a serious subject, exposure to second-hand smoke.
More information on tobacco reduction in Manitoba is available online.
