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Through the Eyes of New Canadians

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Production of the Smoke Screen ads, Documentary, Resource Guide and this web site have been made possible by a finan-cial contribution from the Tobacco Control Programme, Health Canada.

The Guides were created by Kate Dahlstrom. Kate brings over 25 years of developing curriculum and

9 years on issues specifically related to tobacco prevention and cessation. She was assisted by

Dorothy Fitch, an experienced ESL and English teacher and the guidance of

program reviewers

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Preface

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Rationale / Objectives How to Use This Resource

DVD Chapters / Themes

Newcomer Canadian Youth & Smoking: A Backgrounder For Teachers

Lesson Plan 1:”Take Care” Lesson Plan 2: “Movie Star/Falling Star”

Lesson Plan 3: “How Do We Rate”

Peer Project

More Ideas

Viewer Discussion Guide - A descriptionof the ads accompanied by questions for discussion

Did You Know?

Contacts/Resources/Web Sites

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Layout/Graphic Design by: Imagine That! Creative Consultingemaginethat@gmail.com

WELCOME to Smoke Screen 2: Through the Eyes of New Canadians,

a tobacco prevention/cessation re-

source to help English as a Second

Language (ESL) teachers and commu-

nity leaders keep youth from smok-

ing or to help them stop smoking.

Although the focus is on immigrants

and refugees (referred to in this guide

as newcomers), all young people can

benefit from viewing the documentary

and participating in the learning activi-

ties. This resource guide is designed for

grade 8 – 10 youth; however, feedback

has shown that the lessons contained

in this package may benefit younger

students as well.

www.smokescreen.ca

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YOUTH PARTICIPANTS / MEDIA PRODUCERS:A big thank you to the youth for their creativity and vision in making the Smoke Screen 2 ads.

Maria Fernanda BaezCaroline Bergoin

Jori BojmAndrew Chang

YooJin Cho Steven Gamez

Brieanne Johl Alexandra Ko

Diego MacLean Pirouz Nemati

Frank Alexander Ospina James Perry

Emily Ra Jonas Salzberg

Kyle Snyder Farhoud Tirgarian

CONSULTANTS/REVIEWERS: We wish to acknowledge the many educators and health professionals whose thoughtful feedback greatly contributed to the final version of Smoke Screen 2:

• Chansokhy Anhaouy, Multicultural Liaison Worker • Gillian Berry , Counselor • Amanda Cantelon, Educator • Bruce Carlos, BC School Counselors Association • Gloria Chiu, Multicultural Liaison Worker• Sandy Drummond, B.C. Teachers’ Federation-Lesson Aids Service Coordinator • Connie Easton, BC School Counselors Association• Sylvia Helmer, PhD., ESL Consultant, Vancouver School Board• Helen Jutla, Counselor• Leona Lee, Peer-support Facilitator for Immigrants and Refugees• Donna Lee, Educator • Nathalie Lozano, Newcomer Community-Builder • Kelly McDermid ESL Educator• Francisco Fernando Granados Samayoa – Newcomer Community-Builder• Adrienne Taplin-White, Tobacco Control Program, Health Canada• Shirley Thompson, Tobacco Control Program, Health Canada

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RATIONALE & OBJECTIVES

RATIONALEThe research on tobacco use is very clear. Tobacco is acknowledged to be the leading cause of prevent-able disease and death. This package, funded by Health Canada and produced by the Access to Media Education Society (AMES), provides a peer-driven educational package to encourage youth stay smoke-free.

Because of the changing demographics in the region, attention has recently been directed to the preva-lence of smoking behavior among immigrant and refugee youth, referred to in this document as new-comer youth. The advice of newcomer youth, as recommended by the results of a survey of new Cana-dian immigrants and refugees conducted by AMES in 2006 was “to increase awareness of the dangers of smoking through educational materials” and “the development of anti-smoking advertisements.” This resource is a direct outcome of these recommendations. Though targeted at this population, this re-source is intended to be an intervention to help all youth understand the dangers of using tobacco, the reasons young people begin to use and keep using it and to provide some strategies to help them quit.

Youth who have already viewed the Smoke Screen 2 documentary and anti-smoking advertisements have found the material very powerful. The power comes from the fact that the newcomer youth speak so candidly about their experiences and their attitudes towards smoking. It also comes from the sincerity of their desire to spread the word to a great number of people about the dangers of smoking. As one of the main characters in the documentary states “I think it’s very important for youth to be able to express themselves through media because it’s the only way to get your voice heard by many, many people.”

It is our hope that through the use of this documentary and accompanying materials more youth, both newcomer and Canadian-born, will choose to be tobacco-free.

OBJECTIVESThe objectives of this learning resource package are to:

lIncrease awareness of ethno-specific attitudes and behaviors towards tobacco use.

lHelp youth understand the long and short-term health consequences of smoking.

lHelp youth identify with images that portray tobacco use as undesirable.

l Promote positive attitudinal change that will motivate youth to abstain from smoking or decrease their use of tobacco products.

lIllustrate the power of youth-created media in promoting learning.

HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCEThis guide has been developed to work in conjunction with the GENERAL version of the documentary.

The documentary tells the story of a group of newcomer youth who are given the opportunity to learn about the dangers of tobacco use and develop anti-tobacco advertisements aimed at immigrant and refugee youth. The documentary features the youth-made ad-vertisements created during the project.

This guide contains five formal lesson plans for teachers desiring to use the material in their classrooms to meet the prescribed learn-ing outcomes of Health and Career Education 8 and 9 or Plan-ning 10. The lessons in this guide range from ‘easy’ to ‘challenging’ and instructors should feel free to choose the lessons appropriate for the skill level they are addressing. Each lesson can stand alone; however, when combined they can be used as a complete unit of instruction. As well, there are a number of ideas that teachers or youth group leaders can use to develop their own lessons or activi-ties to help youth remain or become smoke-free.

Because some of the topics in this guide could be sensitive and evoke emotional responses for some of the students, it is worth prefacing each lesson with a reminder to keep the environment respectful (i.e., no laughing, put-downs or interruptions). Students should also be reminded that confidentiality is crucial to ensure honest and meaningful dialogue.

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THROUGH THE EYES OF NEW CANADIANS: DVD Chapters/Themes

Markers/Chapters have been included on the DVD to make it easy to fast forward to particular sections. The thematic headings are loose guides but are not explicitly mapped out in the main ESL version of the documentary.

CHAPTER 1: Introduction: Youth and SmokingAd featured in this section: Bad ThingRunning time:

CHAPTER 2: Smoking Initiation and AddictionAd featured in this section: Chained Running time: approx. 3.5 minutes

CHAPTER 3: Smoking, Secrets And Family InfluencesAd featured in this section: Smoking Sucks, PapaRunning time: approx. 3 minutes

CHAPTER 4: The Social Costs Of SmokingAds featured in this section: Hot DateRunning time: approx. 3.5 minutes

CHAPTER 5: The Physical Costs Of SmokingAd featured in this section: What’s In It?Running time: approx. 1.5 minutes

CHAPTER 6: The Monetary Costs Of SmokingAds featured in this section: Cost of Smoking, WalletRunning time: approx. 1 minute

CHAPTER 7: The Corporate ContextAds featured in this section: Agent TobaccoRunning time: approx. 2 minutes

CHAPTER 8: Smoking In The Movies: Creating Images Of CoolRunning time: approx. 2 minutes

CHAPTER 9: Youth Taking The Media Into Their Own Hands: Creating Alternative Images Of ‘Cool’Ad featured in this section: iQuitRunning time: approx. 1 minute

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NEWCOMER CANADIAN YOUTH & SMOKINGa backgrounder for teachers

New immigrants make up more than 25% of the total population of Brit-ish Columbia; however, despite this, there has been very little current research that explores race or ethnicity as it impacts tobacco use among our youth.

In order to gain insight into the smoking attitudes, behaviors and aware-ness rates of newcomer youth, a community consultation process was conducted by AMES prior to the creation of Smoke Screen 2: Through the Eyes of New Canadians. This involved peer-facilitated focus groups with a total of 194 newcomer youth. When asked why newcomer youth smoke, the most common response was to fit in to the new society/culture and to make new friends.

The desire to ‘make friends’, ‘be accepted’ and ‘fit in’ are things that al-most everyone can relate to, but for newcomer youth the stakes are much higher as are the barriers that must be overcome to realize these desires.

In addition to the overwhelming task of getting oriented in a ‘strange land’, many newcomers are contending with the realities of leaving be-hind family, friends and everything familiar.

If you’ve ever traveled to a foreign country you know how difficult it is to communicate without the necessary language skills or how difficult it is to follow unfamiliar customs. But unlike the traveler who can return to friends and familiar territory, the newcomer youth must adapt quickly to the new culture or remain isolated and lonely. It is not surprising then that newcomer youth can be even more susceptible to pressures to pick up habits like smoking in order to try to fit in and find friends.

“The ads in the documentary are made by newcomer youth for newcomer youth because the most effective way to reach this significant and rapidly-growing population is to directly involve them in the creation of their own health promotion messages.”Jamie Perry, one of the creators of “iQuit” and “What’s In It?”

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Recognizing the uniqueness of newcomers’ experiences, this project has aimed to create media messages that speak directly to immigrant youth in order to:

l increase their knowledge of the negative consequences of tobacco use,

l identify with images that portray tobacco use as undesirable, and

l be exposed to media images that motivate them to decrease their tobacco use.

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LESSON PLAN 1: “Take Care”

Students should be encouraged to refer to the documentary and their own body of knowledge when completing this chart. The teacher may want to extend this activity by having students research pertinent web sites.

GOALStudents will be able to identify and make note of the signs of tobacco ad-diction, the short and long term consequences of being addicted to tobacco and useful strategies needed to quit using tobacco.

PREPARATIONlPreview the Smoke Screen 2 documentary.lCopy the TAKE CARE: Reflection Chart for each student.lArrange students into pairs.

ACTIVITY l In partners, have students complete the TAKE CARE: Reflection Chart based on their current knowledge. Ask students to consider the physical, mental, social and emotional consequences of smoking. A sample response for each category has been provided. l View the Smoke Screen 2 documentary. l Have students complete the TAKE CARE: Reflection Chart, adding any additional information that they have gleaned from the Smoke Screen 2 documentary. l Have students share their reflection charts with the class. Students should add the suggestions and ideas presented by other groups on their TAKE CARE: Reflection Chart l In partners, have students compose and rehearse a dialogue where they attempt to persuade a loved one to quit using tobacco. They should address the signs of addiction, the short and long term consequences of tobacco use, and strategies to quit smoking.

ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITY l Have students write a letter to a loved one where they attempt to persuade him/her to quit using tobacco.

CLOSURE l Invite volunteers to share their dialogues with the class. l Thank students for participating and end the lesson with the hope that they will remain smoke-free or seriously consider quitting.

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INTRODUCTION lTell students they will watch a documentary containing anti-smoking advertisements that were designed by and for youth. lDistribute the TAKE CARE: Reflection Chart reflection chart to each student. lHave students appoint a recorder who will list their responses on the chart and a presenter who will share the information with the class.

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Signs of Addiction l unsuccessful attempts to quit

Short Term l yellow teeth and bad breath

Consequences of Tobacco

Long Term l sickness

Consequences of Tobacco

Strategies for l make a list of reasons to quit

Quitting Tobacco

“Take Care!” Reflection Chart

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“Take Care!” Reflection Chart

Signs of Addiction l unsuccessful attempts to quit l the number and frequency of cigarettes one smokes l occurrence of withdrawal symptoms such as irritability and anxiety, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances

Suggested Responses

Short Term l dry, wrinkled skin with a grayish tone (pre-mature aging)

Consequences l yellow teeth and bad breath

of Tobacco l yellow fingers l economic deprivation l persistent cough l inability to run and play sports l feelings of added stress or guilt l scorned by peers

Long Term l death

Consequences l cancers

of Tobacco l respiratory disease l circulatory disease l diabetes l loss of income l scorned by peers and society

l wrinkles

Strategies for l join a group like Kick the Nic

Quitting Tobacco l get professional help l use patches, gum, lozenges on the market l prepare mentally, picture yourself as a healthy and happy non-smoker l list reasons to quit l consider monetary savings l involve friends and family l substitute smoking for another non-harmful habit (sports/fitness activity, listening to music etc.) l keep busy l reward yourself each time you have successfully fought off the temptation to smoke

LESSON PLAN 2:“ Movie Star or Falling Star?”

GOALlStudents will recognize how the media, particularly movies and music videos, glamorizes smoking by making it look ‘cool’ and sexy. lStudents will consider media strategies that can be adopted to challenge mainstream portrayals of smoking.

PREPARATIONlArrange the room so that students are sitting in groups of four or five.lProvide chart paper and felt pens for each group.lPreview the Smoke Screen 2 documentary.lCopy the MOVIE STAR / FALLING STAR: Reflection Handout and Student Worksheet for each group.

INTRODUCTIONlTell students they will watch a documentary containing anti-smoking advertisements that were designed by and for newcomer youth.lAsk students to define and differentiate the terms “cool” and “glamorous”. lRecord student responses on chart paper.lDistribute the MOVIE STAR / FALLING STAR: Reflection Handout and the MOVIE STAR / FALLING STAR Student Worksheet to each group and tell students they will engage in a 10-minute discussion at the end of the documentary.

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Check out

www.scenesmoking.orgEach week movies are reviewed and graded on how tobacco is depicted.

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ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITYl Have students draw the “reality side” of a star’s promotional headshot on the attached Fantasy/Reality headshot worksheet below.

CLOSUREl Invite each group to share their skit or their poster with the class.l Thank students for participating and end the lesson with the hope that they will remain smoke-free or seriously consider quitting.

The Fantasy The Reality

“Movie Star or Falling Star?” Reflection Handout

Take a few minutes to discuss the following questions with your partner or with your group.

• How does smoking tend to be portrayed in the media? Can you think of some examples of men smoking in movies? Can you think of some examples of women smoking in movies? Are the ways in which men and women smokers are represented different? Why do you think that is?

• Do you think seeing people smoking in the movies affects your attitudes towards tobacco? If so, how?

• Do you think that the creation of ads like the Smoke Screen 2 ads will help to alter years of images where people have been conditioned to think the gesture of smoking is cool?

• Which of the Smoke Screen 2 advertisements did you find most effective in making smoking look less ‘cool’ or glamorous? Why?

• One of the people in the documentary states that when a hero smokes in a movie they are creating a pro-smoking ad. Can you think of examples of movies where smoking is discouraged? Can you think of any interesting ways that anti-tobacco messages could be sent out through movies?

• Did the Smoke Screen 2 documentary influence your attitudes toward smoking in any way? Explain.

• Did the fact that youth made these ads change the way you viewed them? If so, how?

• What other things can be done to help reduce tobacco use among young people?

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“Movie Star/Falling Star?” Student Worksheet

Movie Star!In the movies.

Falling Star!In reality.

The hero/heroine has beautiful white teeth (sexy).

Smokers are usually athletic.

People who smoke usually have yellow teeth (not sexy).

Smokers are often not very fit!

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LESSON PLAN 3 – “How Do We Rate?”

This lesson plan is divided into two parts. Some teachers may wish to only use part 1.

GOAL• Students will conduct a smoking survey and analyze the results to determine whether their school warrants a smoking cessation program.• Students will consider the effectiveness of various tobacco prevention/ cessation advertisements and programs.

PREPARATION• Obtain principal’s permission to conduct a smoking survey.• Arrange the room so that students are sitting in groups of four.• Preview the Smoke Screen 2 documentary.• Copy the “HOW DO WE RATE?”: Reflection Handout for each group.• Preview the Sample Smoking Survey and Suggested Proposal Headings.• Locate and copy enrolment statistics for each grade at the school.• Read the research on prevalence of youth smoking in BC and Canada. www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/tobac-tabac/research-recherche/stat/ctums- esutc/fs-if/2000/2000youth_e.html

INTRODUCTION• Tell students they will watch a documentary containing anti-smoking advertisements that were designed by and for youth.• Distribute the “HOW DO WE RATE?”: Reflection Handout. • Provide groups with enrolment statistics for each grade.• Ask students to estimate the percentage of smokers at their school.• Ask administration and classroom teachers if they would be willing to have their students participate in an anonymous smoking survey.

ACTIVITY – Part 1• View the Smoke Screen 2 documentary.• In groups, allow students 10 minutes to discuss the questions on the “HOW DO WE RATE?”: Reflection Handout• Tell students they will be conducting a survey to determine the status of smoking at their school.• Have students develop a survey for general distribution. Students should consider questions that address number of smokers, gender, frequency, age, attempts at quitting, etc.. Refer to the Sample Smoking Survey.• Have students conduct the survey. • Have students collect completed surveys and analyze their findings to determine if their school warrants a smoking cessation program.

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ACTIVITY – Part 2• Have students research and list current smoking cessation programs for youth. EtG., Kick the Nic - BC Ministry of Health www.tobaccofacts.ca and Quit 4 Life - Health Canada Program www.quit4life.ca• Have students develop a proposal that documents the findings and analysis of their survey, their research of current smoking cessation programs and their justification for implementing a smoking cessation program at their school. Refer to the Suggested Proposal Headings.• Have students submit their proposal to the administration for approval and follow up.

CLOSURE• Invite administration to the classroom to discuss the feasibility of their Smoking Cessation Program Proposal. • Thank students for participating and end the lesson with the hope that they will remain smoke-free or seriously consider quitting.

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“How Do We Rate?” Reflection Handout

lWhat percentage of people in your grade do you estimate smoke?

lWhat do you think are the primary reasons young people have to start smoking?

lWhat advice would you give to a friend who is starting to smoke or who wants to quit smoking?

lDid the documentary influence your attitudes toward smoking at all? If so, please explain how.

lWhich of the Smoke Screen 2 advertisements do you think would be most effective in: (1) discouraging young people from smoking, and (2) encouraging young people to quit smoking? Why?

lBased on what you believe to be the primary reasons that young people smoke, what would be some important aspects of an effective smoking cessation program for youth?

l Do you think smoking cessation programs tend to be effective? Why or why not?

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Sample Smoking Survey1) Male r Female r

2) Age 10 – 12 r 13 – 15 r 16 - 18 r

3) Do you use tobacco? Yes r No r

4) Have you ever used tobacco? Yes r No r

4) If you answered no to question 3, do you think you might try smoking in the future? Yes r No r5) If you answered yes to question 3, how long have you been smoking? ______________________

6) How often do you use tobacco?occasionally rdaily r

7) If daily, how many cigarettes do you smoke each day? 1-5 r 6-10 r 11-15 r 16-20 r more than 20 r

8) Have you ever tried to quit using tobacco? Yes 0 No 0

9) If you answered yes to question 8, how many times have you tried? __________

10) Do any members of your family smoke? Yes r No r

11) Why do you think people start to smoke? Peer pressure r To be cool r To Relax r Family infl uence r To Experiment r Other: ________________________________________________________

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12) Do you think the school should have a smoking cessation program for youth wanting to quit tobacco? Yes r No r

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Sample Proposal Headings1) Title Page - title - participants - date

2) Background Information - who is involved - how the project came about - the intent and scope of the project

3) Research - analysis of Smoking Survey

4) Literature Search - findings of smoking cessation program research

5) Benefits of Suggested Program - who will benefit and why - consider individuals, school, district, and society 6) Implementation Suggestions - marketing - timeline - personal commitment to program 7) Conclusion

PEER PROJECTIt is intended that an adult facilitator work with a mixed group of newcomer youth and Canadian-born youth to develop this project. Teachers may wish to conduct this activity with a class or group of students as part of the substance abuse section of Career and Health Education 8 and 9 or Planning 10. This project would be suitable as a Student Council or Leadership Class activity. It could also be used with community groups.

Research tells us that youth learn well from each other. Also, having newcomer youth work with Canadian-born students give both groups the opportunity to become familiar with and promote respect for each other’s language and val-ues. This project will prove to be a valuable learning experience that brings both groups of students to a better understanding and a greater appreciation for each other’s knowledge and backgrounds while developing an anti-smok-ing message for youth.

OVERVIEWNewcomer and Canadian-born youth will work together to view the Smoke Screen 2 documentary, discuss the content and design a large anti-smoking ban-ner which can be displayed in a public place such as a school foyer/cafeteria or a mall or the community centre.

IN ADVANCE• Contact the ESL teacher and request that s/he and his/her students participate in this project.• Arrange the room so that participants are sitting in small groups. Ensure that there is at least one newcomer in each group.• Preview the Smoking Screen 2 documentary.• Provide banner-sized sheets of paper and colored pens and/or paints for each group.• Copy Viewer’s Discussion Guide for each group.• Check for comprehension of key vocabulary.

INTRODUCTION• Once participants are sitting in their groups, ask them to introduce themselves by telling the group their name, country of origin and one thing they know about tobacco and smoking.• Tell participants they will watch a documentary containing anti-smoking advertisements that were designed by and for young immigrants and refugees and that they will be working together to create multi-cultural anti- smoking banners.

pressured twist depicts burden absurdityreveals toxic consequences spoofing

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ACTIVITY• View Smoke Screen 2 documentary.• Using the Viewer’s Discussion Guide, have participants identify the intended message in each of the advertisements presented in the video and provide a rating for them. Discuss.• In their groups, have participants create an anti-smoking message or slogan.• Ask participants to translate the message into a variety of languages.• Ask participants to create a banner illustrating the anti-smoking message.

CLOSURE• Invite each group to share its banner with the entire group.• Brainstorm locations for the banners and discuss how to get permission to display them. Ask for volunteers to approach the appropriate person for permission to display the banner. Practice ways of asking permission.• Thank everyone for participating and end the session with the hope that they will remain smoke-free or seriously consider quitting.

SMOKE SCREEN 2 VIEWING GUIDEBelow is a short description of each advertisement featured in the Smoke Screen 2 documentary followed by questions designed to stimulate discussion. You might use these as the basis of another lesson by having your students do a ‘pair and share” and then engage in a classroom discussion. One way to use these ad-vertisements is to have your students discuss each one and rate them according to how effective they think they are in convincing youth to quit smoking.

1. Bad ThingBad Thing conveys how horrible it is to be pressured into smoking and how hard it is to stop once you’ve started. • What did you initially think this ad was about when you started watching it? Do you think the set up and twist at the end of this ad makes it more or less effective? • What advice would you give to someone who was being pressured to

do something they didn’t want?

2. ChainedThis ad dramatically depicts what a burden smoking is. • In what ways is smoking a burden? • What advice would you give to someone who wants to free themselves from smoking?

3. Smoking SucksThis animated ad cleverly illustrates how smoking sucks the life right out of you.

• Do you know anyone who is not able to do the things they once could because they now smoke? • Do you know of anyone who has died from a smoking related disease? What were the circumstances and how did this affect you?

4. Papa This animated ad features a little boy who looks up to and imitates his father’severy move—until his father lights a cigarette.

• How much do your parents influence you? • Are you a role model to anyone? How does this make you feel?

5. Hot DateThis humorous ad demonstrates how smoking can kill your love life.

• Do you think smokers are aware of what smoking does to their physical appearance? Why or why not? • Do you know anyone who would refuse to go on a date with someone because they smoked? Discuss.

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6. Cost of SmokingDriven by a catchy tune, this ad illustrates some of the many benefits of a smoke-free lifestyle.

• How is the girl in this ad empowered? • Aside from monetary benefits, what other benefits will this non-smoker realize?

7. WalletThis ad humorously emphasizes the high price of smoking.

• Who benefits from the sale of a package of cigarettes? • Do you think raising the price of cigarettes would deter youth from smoking? Why or why not?

8. What’s in it?Through animated effects, this ad reveals the toxic contents of cigarettes and some of the health-related consequences of smoking. It ends with the question, “What’s in it for you?”

• Why do you think youth smoke even when they know they are putting harmful substances into their bodies?

• If these toxins were in the beverages you normally drink, would you continue to drink them? Why or why not?

9. Agent TobaccoThis animation shows a young, terrified girl running through city streets—the target of unknown pursuers.

• What makes this ad so powerful? • What do you know about tobacco advertising and how it targets girls?

10. I – QuitSpoofing popular iPod commercials, this ad reveals the downside of smoking and the absurdity of viewing smoking as ‘cool’.

• How is smoking usually shown on television or in the movies? • What makes this ad appealing to youth?

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MORE IDEASHere are some ideas that could form the basis of other tobacco-related lessons.

l Students could make their own television commercials targeting a tobacco- related issue. They could request that the local television station broadcast them as a public service or could have them shown on the school’s closed-circuit system.

l Students could role-play a variety of ways of saying ‘no’ when offered a cigarette. Research shows that if youth practice refusing cigarettes or participating in any other activity it will be easier for them to do so when an actual situation arises. They will be ready to refuse!

l Have students stage a mock trial taking a cigarette to court for causing disease and distress.

l Ask students to mind-map all the things they could do with money that they would save if they remained smoke-free. Remember, a pack-a-day smoker spends almost $250 a month on cigarettes!

l Ask students to fi nd cigarette advertisements in non-Canadian magazines. Tobacco companies can’t advertise in Canada but they do in other countries. Have them examine the ads for the strategies used to entice them to buy. Then give them poster paper and colored pens and have them create a truthful cigarette ad.

l Invite someone from the Canadian Cancer Association or the BC Lung Association or the BC & Yukon Heart and Stroke Association to speak with your class about the dangers of tobacco.

l Students could invent a super hero dedicated to helping youth quit tobacco and create a comic strip showing them in action.

l Students could research how many people smoke in all the different countries of the world and create graphs and charts to display.

l Students could research how and where tobacco is grown and how it affects the environment. Students should consider who does the work and who reaps the profi ts.

l Have students create a tobacco-related game using fact sheets found on web sites such as www.tobaccofacts.org or www.ash.org.

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DID YOU KNOW?(See CD “Supplementary Worksheets” for various translations of this information.)

l Tobacco companies may not be allowed to advertise in Canada, but every time a movie star lights up on the screen it’s like a big neon sign. The industry requires replacement smokers so its future depends on smoking being socially acceptable. Check out http://smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu for further information.

l In 2004-05, according to the Canadian Youth Smoking Survey (YSS), 21% of youth, in grades 5 through 9, reported ever trying any tobacco product (cigarettes, cigars or pipes, bidis, chew-ing tobacco and snuff ). Smoking cigarettes (19%) was the most common form of tobacco product tried. There was no difference between boys and girls with respect to the prevalence of ever having tried smoking cigarettes. (YSS) l According to the YSS, the two most commonly stated perceived reasons that youth start to smoke was “it’s cool” (60%) or the behaviour of their friends (57%). In the 2002 YSS, 45% of youth stated “it’s cool” as one of their perceived reasons why youth start to smoke. Behaviour of friends becomes a more important perceived reason as youth get older, with 65% of grade 9 students stating this as the most important reason that youth begin to smoke. (YSS 2004-04)

l Tobacco and tobacco smoke contain over 4000 toxins. A pack-a-day smoker will smoke 7,300 cigarettes a year and will inhale the equivalent of almost 1 gram of formaldehyde that year. And, there are still over 3,999 other chemicals whose effects on the body continue to add up. (Health Canada)

l It is the nicotine in cigarettes that make smoking addictive. Nicotine stimulates the central nervous system, increases the heart rate and raises blood pressure. In large quantities nico-tine is extremely poisonous. Even a small quantity could seriously harm a child. (ASH)

l Every year in British Columbia more than 5,800 people die from smoking, related illnesses. Second-hand smoke harms everyone, including unborn babies.

l Smoking is the No. 1 preventable cause of death in Canada. More Canadians die from tobac-co use than from alcohol, car accidents, illicit drug use, murder, suicide and AIDS combined.

l Tobacco companies continue to make huge profits in spite of the negative publicity about smoking. On February 8, 2007, Rothman’s Inc. reported that its third-quarter profit rose to $24.1 million. (feed://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/org/rothmansbh.rss)

l Breathing in second-hand smoke causes at least 800 deaths in Canadian non-smokers from lung cancer and heart disease every year. The best way to protect your family from the health effects of second-hand smoke is to make your home and car 100% smoke-free.

lIt’s never too late to quit. If you decided to stop smoking just for one day, by the end of the day, the carbon monoxide level in your body will drop and oxygen level in your blood will increase to normal. 26

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CONTACTS/RESOURCES/WEB SITESwww.gosmokefree.caThis site has current and accurate information about tobacco prevention and cessation and has links to many helpful sites. It is sponsored and maintained by Health Canada.

www.madebyyouth.tvThis site is the home of Smoke Screen II: Through the Eyes of New Canadians. It has all the anti-smoking adver-tisements made by the Newcomer Youth for this program. It also has useful tobacco prevention and cessa-tion information and links that will help you remain or become smoke-free.

www.tobaccofacts.orgThis site is sponsored and maintained by the BC Ministry of Health. Check this site for information that youth, teachers and parents will find useful. You will find interesting free programs, games and posters that you can download.

www.cyberisle.orgCheck out this youth-friendly site! It uses multimedia and interactive technologies to provide exciting and innovative ways to get youth interested in disease prevention and health promotional activities. A Smoking Zine can be accessed through this site and there is a chat room where you can exchange information about a variety of health-related topics. A smoking youth can use information provided in the Zine to create a personalized quit plan. The site is safe and well monitored by the Department of Behavioral Science at the University of Toronto.

www.heartandstroke.caThis site provides general information about heart health that includes the dangers of smoking. It also pro-vides access on tobacco-related brochures and fact sheets which can be ordered from the Heart and Stroke Foundation free of charge.

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www.cancer.caOn this site you will find information about tobacco and disease specific to your province. The mission of this national organization is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer.

QuitNow.caThis is an Internet-based quit smoking service, available free to all British Co-lumbians. The service combines effective methods for quitting smoking with a powerful individualized program that is available anytime and anyplace.

www.actnowbc.go.bc.caActNow BC’s website contains tip sheets on smoking cessation and offers sound advice on healthy eating for ex-smokers and those ready to quit.

QuitNow By Phone: 1-877-455-2233 is staffed by registered nurses available to assist people in over 130 languages.

Drug & Alcohol Counselor in BC SchoolsMost students in BC have access to the service of these counselors in their schools who can help youth to deal with smoke-related issues.

www.quitforlife.caThis site is designed to help youth quit smoking. You can create a personalized profile and receive quitting skills and support in your quest to quit.

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SMOKE SCREEN 2: PROCESS & PARTICIPANTS

Smoke Screen 2: Through the Eyes of New Canadians is a Health Canada-funded counter- marketing campaign and educational package that has been developed by and for youth. In light of the changing demograph-ics in the region, the project began with an innovative peer-driven re-search initiative to gain insight into the smoking attitudes, behaviors and awareness rates of newcomer youth in the greater Vancouver area.

Following the research report, 16 young immigrants and refugees from 11 countries of origin were selected to learn about counter-marketing and develop television advertisements designed to de-glamorize smok-ing among youth in general but specifically among newcomer youth. They began this task by brainstorming ideas, writing scripts and story-boarding a series of 30-second advertisements. The youth then spent 7 action-packed days of hands-on-movie-making at the Gulf Islands Film and Television School (GIFTS), a rustic and renowned residential media-training centre. While there, they worked with a team of accomplished filmmakers and other creative young people to create 12 ads to educate the TV viewing public about what makes youth want to smoke and why they should resist!

In the spring of 2006, six of the ads were aired on prime time TV and a selection of ads were featured on busses and in newspapers. Well over 13 million people were reached during this phase of the campaign. The program was envisioned, designed and sponsored by the Access to Media Education Society (AMES).

ACCESS TO MEDIA EDUCATION SOCIETY (AMES)

AMES is a registered charity (est. 1996) dedicated to helping people cul-tivate individual, group and mass communications skills. A key focus of the society is to provide ‘marginalized communities’ with hands-on op-portunities to use video as a tool for education and self-advocacy. Our unique media access programs provide young people with a safe envi-ronment in which they can reflect on issues of concern to them and get instruction from an accomplished group of filmmakers and peer men-tors. As with all of our programs, Smoke Screen: Through the Eyes of New Canadians demonstrates our commitment to a key belief: that messages are strongest when those directly affected are given the chance to speak for themselves.

AMES productions consistently win praise and awards for their distinct vision, but the true reward is seeing how they inspire audiences, empow-er communities, and help create conditions for change.

For more info, go to www.accesstomedia.org