BARRIE -- The Honourable Aileen Carroll, Member of Parliament for Barrie, announced today on behalf of Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh, that the Government of Canada will contribute $396,000 over two years to the Not to Kids (NTK) Coalition for a mass media campaign to reduce youth access to tobacco. "We are proud to fund such an innovative, unique and exciting project," said Ms. Carroll. "Most smokers start smoking in their youth, so it is very important to decrease the smoking rates of this age group. Research suggests that most youth obtain their first cigarettes through social sources, such as friends or adults, rather than from retail sources. Restricting access to tobacco products during their teenage years makes it that much more difficult for them to experiment with smoking." The campaign will focus on shifting attitudes and social norms about the acceptability of supplying tobacco to youth and will target two groups: youth supplying to youth and adults supplying to youth. The first part, the Youth Component, will expand on the success of the recent NTK mass media and education campaigns. The second component, called the Community Element, will target adults in the community at large. A new media campaign will be developed to make adults aware that it is illegal and socially irresponsible to provide cigarettes to kids. Mass-media activities are an important component of the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy (FTCS), which aims to reduce disease and death due to tobacco-use through a comprehensive, integrated and sustained approach. Mass-media activities build on and support tobacco control activities undertaken at the national, provincial and territorial levels in the areas of prevention, cessation, protection and harm reduction. The NTK campaign is one of many projects across the country funded by contribution agreements. Projects such as this one allow Health Canada to test new advertising techniques, garner information on target audiences, tackle bold new concepts, address regional-specific needs, and share resources and results. This campaign is part of a comprehensive approach involving school programs, retailer education, policy development and community involvement. The NTK Coalition of public health units works to prevent youth 16 to 20 years from experimenting with tobacco by reducing illegal sales and discouraging adults from providing youth with tobacco products. The Coalition was formed in January 2002 with 11 health units involved. It has now expanded to 18 health units in Ontario. For more information on Health Canada’s tobacco control efforts, please visit www.gosmokefree.ca -30- Media Inquiries: Margot Geduld/Carole Saindon Health Canada (613) 957-1588 Adèle Blanchard Office of the Minister of Health (613) 957-0200 Public Inquiries: (613) 957-2991
