HAMILTON
,
ON
– October 25, 2006 – Winners of the sixth annual Teen Tobacco Challenge will be recognized prior to this evening’s City Council meeting by Mayor Larry Di Ianni and Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, Medical Officer of Health for the City of Hamilton.
Teen Tobacco Challenge provides both the motivation and funding for local teens to develop, implement and evaluate youth-driven tobacco use prevention activities within their school communities. The youth-driven activities raised school and community awareness of tobacco issues, including the tobacco industry’s predatory marketing to youth.
The following eleven youth-led groups from across the city of Hamilton participated in this year’s Challenge: St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School (Best Message Quality), Cathedral High School (Most Creative and Innovative Project), Orchard Park Secondary School (Greatest Impact), Westmount Secondary School (Most Resourceful Project), Saltfleet District High School (Best Overall), Highland Secondary (Honourable Mention), Sherwood Secondary (Honourable Mention), St Jean de Brebeuf (Honourable Mention), Hillpark Secondary (Honourable Mention), and two separate groups from Barton Secondary School (Honourable Mentions).
Youth-to-youth anti-tobacco industry campaigns have been proven to reduce youth tobacco use in jurisdictions across North America. The youth-led groups above and Hamilton’s youth-led anti-tobacco industry movement HCAAT (Hamilton Crew for Action Against Tobacco) have received provincial acclaim for their efforts in reducing tobacco use.
Teen Tobacco Challenge for the 2006/07 school year is already underway.
More information about Teen Tobacco Challenge and local youth anti-tobacco industry activities can be found on HCAAT’s website at www.unfilteredfacts.ca.
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Media Contact
Kevin McDonald
Manager, Tobacco Control Program 905 546-2424 ext 1984