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Smoke-free Living |
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Why focus on tobacco as part of your curriculum?
- By Grade 4, most students are 'thinking' about smoking.
- By Grade 6, students are likely to start smoking.
- Almost 85% of those who smoke cigarettes start smoking before the age of 18.
- The average age when youth initiate or experiment with smoking and other substances is between 11 and 13 years.
- In 2006, 18% of people in Ontario smoke. Yet, smoking is the number one preventable cause of premature death and disease in Ontario.
- Tobacco kills 16,000 Ontarians each year. This includes approximately 3,000 residents in Toronto alone.
- Children and youth who start smoking early are more likely to become heavy smokers due to nicotine addiction.
- Though most teens that smoke want to quit, more than 75% of them continue smoking during their high school years.
Curriculum resources:
The Lung Association's free school program for smoking prevention. It has been developed especially for Ontario teachers and students - from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Program materials include teaching modules, posters, brochures, and more. Lungs Are For Life is available in both English and French.
What's Your Tobacco IQ Display?
"What's Your Tobacco IQ?" is a bilingual interactive display, approved by TDSB and TCDSB for use in schools. The display can be used to reinforce knowledge gained from curriculum resources. It can also be used to complement Lungs Are For Life.
The display promotes tobacco-free living messages to youth, 11-13 years of age (grade 6 to 8). It tests students' tobacco knowledge on: health effects, what's in a cigarette/second-hand smoke, environmental influences (media, tobacco industry, peers, adolescent attitudes), tobacco industry marketing tactics, Smoke-Free Ontario Act, and quitting smoking.
The display is available on loan from Toronto Public Health. Contact your school's Public Health Nurse to arrange for transportation.
Smoke-Free Ontario Act Education
The Smoke-Free Ontario Act prohibits smoking in public schools, private schools and on public school property.
Request for information and/or enforcement of the SFOA can be directed to Toronto Health Connection at 416-338-7600
Investigations of complaints of smoking in or around school property are carried out by Tobacco Enforcement Officers. An individual could be subject to a maximum fine of $5,000.
Get more information by visiting the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion website
Last updated March 2010
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