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Student Resource 1
k i d s
The Lungs
______ hairs that line the walls of this help
clean the outside air
______ collects air and passes it on to
the trachea
______ lots of small tubes branching out from
the bronchial tubes
______ a strong muscle that helps air move
in and out of the lungs
______ two tubes that join the windpipe and
the lungs
______ also referred to as the oral cavity
______ another name for this is the windpipe
______ tiny hairs that move like waves,
sweeping dirt and germs out of the air
before it enters the alveoli
______ small sacs at the end of the bronchioles
where oxygen enters the blood
______ the right lung has three of these,
the left lung has two
______ food headed for your stomach goes
through here
______ air passing here makes voice sounds
______ these bones protect and support
the lungs
Name
_________________________________
Adapted from: Smoke Free Class of 2000 Physical Education Grade 5 Lesson 4. Alberta Lung Association, 1991.
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Student Resource 1 – The Lungs
Answer Key
1 — collects air and passes it on to
the trachea
13 — hairs that line the walls of this help
clean the outside air
7 — a strong muscle that helps air move
in and out of the lungs
4 — lots of small tubes branching out from
the bronchial tubes
12 — also referred to as the oral cavity
5 — two tubes that join the windpipe and
the lungs
3 — another name for this is the windpipe
8 — tiny hairs that move like waves,
sweeping dirt and germs out of the air
before it enters the alveoli
6 — small sacs at the end of the bronchioles
where oxygen enters the blood
9 — the right lung has three of these,
the left lung has two
2 — food headed for your stomach goes
through here
11 — air passing here makes voice sounds
10 — these bones protect and support
the lungs
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Student Resource 2
k i d s
Refusal Skills
When You Really Don’t Want To...
At one time or another, you will probably be asked to smoke or use spit tobacco. This may
be a difficult situation. You may be tempted to try it to fit in or feel grown up. To avoid
feeling tempted in these situations, it’s a good idea to be prepared so you’re not caught
off-guard. It’s much easier not to start using tobacco than it is to quit after you are
addicted.
Here are some ideas to help you decide the best way to say no if someone pressures you
to take up the habit. Write in some of your own ideas on the lines provided.
Suggest something else to do (something healthy and safe).
“Let’s rent a movie.” or “Is anyone in for pizza?”
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Go do something else instead. But, make sure others know they are welcome
to join you (in case they are looking for a way out of the situation too).
“I’m going to shoot hoops at the school. Who wants to come?”
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Troubleshoot before you get in too deep.
“What are we going to do at the park or mall?”
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Make a joke of it.
“I’d rather do something safe like skydiving.” or “Yeah, just what I want...stinky clothes
and bad breath.”
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Talk to your friends about the dangers of using tobacco.
“Using tobacco is deadly.” or “I don’t want to get addicted to nicotine.”
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Student Resource 2 – Refusal Skills
Put it off on someone else.
“My mom will be able to smell it on me.” or “My friends hate it when I smoke.”
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Use the health approach.
“I can’t smoke because I have asthma.” or “I play soccer and smoking will slow me down.”
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Hang out with non-users.
If your friends won’t stop pressuring you, think about finding some friends that care more
about you and your health!
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Other ideas:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Adapted from: Our Health - Our Future - Our Choice: Integrated Tobacco Resource Book: 1. School District 2 New
Brunswick; Smokeless (Spit) Tobacco Health Education Resource Kit: You’d Have To Be Wacko To Chew Tobacco.
Wellness and Health Protection Branch Saskatchewan Health; bc.tobaccofacts: A Tobacco Prevention Resource
for Teachers Grade 6. British Columbia Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, 1999; Sense and Non-Sense:
Healthy Choices About Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling - Grade 5. AADAC, 1997.
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Student Resource 3
k i d s
Word Puzzle
How to play
Begin by reading the list of words. Discuss with your group how to use the words
to create a word-find puzzle or crossword puzzle. Using the graph, build your puzzle.
Try to use as many words as you can!
Word List
Addictive
Breathing faster
Can’t quit
Dizzy
Heart disease
Messy
Skin aged
Stroke
Bad breath
Burn holes
Cough develops
Expensive
Heart speeds up
Nausea
Smelly hair
Tar on lungs
Blood pressure up
Cancer
Damaged lungs
Fire
Irritates people
Pollutes air
Smoke
Adapted from: Sense and Non-Sense: Healthy Choices About Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling - Grade 5. AADAC, 1997.
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Student Resource 4
k i d s
Math Puzzle
To solve the puzzle, read all of the statements below and decide if
the statement is true or false. Next, complete the math problem for each
question. Finally, for all of the questions you answered “true”, colour
the appropriate spaces blue. For those questions you answered “false,”
colour the appropriate spaces pink. What do you see?
a. Smoking harms your lungs. (Colour the spaces that equal 9 x 9)
T
F
b. Smoking causes bad breath. (Colour the spaces that equal 3 x7)
T
F
c. Smoking is cool. (Colour all the spaces that equal 16 x 2)
T
F
d. Second-hand smoke is harmful. (Colour all the spaces that equal 12 x 4)
T
F
e. Smoking is good for your heart. (Colour all the spaces that equal 25 x 3)
T
F
f. Smoking is bad for the environment. (Colour all the spaces that equal 24 x 4)
T
F
g. All advertising tells the truth. Colour all the spaces that equal 7 x 10)
T
F
h. Buying tobacco is not expensive. (Colour all the spaces that equal 4 x 18)
T
F
i. Tobacco contains nicotine and is very addictive.
(Colour all the spaces that equal 29 x 5)
T
F
j. Smoking helps whiten your teeth. (Colour all the spaces that equal 14 x 3)
T
F
Adapted from: Smoke Free Class of 2000 Just for Fun! Alberta Lung Association, 1991.
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Student Resource 5
k i d s
The Price of Using Tobacco
How much does it cost to smoke?
Question #1
G.R. smokes one pack of cigarettes a day. He has smoked the same amount
for the past year. There are 25 cigarettes in each pack.
G.R. smokes__________cigarettes a day.
G.R. smokes__________cigarettes a week.
G.R. smokes__________cigarettes a year.
Question #2
Recently, the price of one package of cigarettes went up! G.R. complained
that he now must pay $8.61 (including GST) for each pack of cigarettes.
There are 25 cigarettes in a package.
It costs G.R. $___________to smoke one cigarette.
It costs G.R. $___________per day to smoke.
It costs G.R. $___________per week to smoke.
It costs G.R. $___________per year to smoke.
Question #3
If G.R. decided to quit smoking, what could he buy with the money he would
save over one year? What would you buy?
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Student Resource 5 – The Price of Using Tobacco
Answers - Question #1
G.R. smokes (25 x 1) = 25 cigarettes a day.
G.R. smokes (25 x 1 x 7) = 175 cigarettes a week.
G.R. smokes (25 x 1 x 365) = 9,125 cigarettes a year.
Answers - Question #2
It costs G.R ($8.61/ 25)= $0.34 to smoke one cigarette.
It costs G.R. = $8.61 per day to smoke.
It costs G.R. ($8.61 x 7 days)= $60.27 per week to smoke.
It costs G.R. ($8.61 x 365 days)= $3142.65 per year to smoke.
Adapted from: Sense and Non-Sense: Healthy Choices About Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling – Grade 5. AADAC, 1997.
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Student Resource 6
k i d s
Tobacco Worksheet
Why kids use tobacco
Health consequences of using tobacco
Health consequences of second-hand smoke
Social consequences of tobacco
Other uses for tobacco
Laws/bylaws regarding tobacco
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Student Resource 7
k i d s
Tobacco Interview
Instructions:
Ask your parents or another adult who is significant in your life (for example, an aunt,
uncle, grandparent or an adult friend) if you can interview them about tobacco use.
The person you interview may or may not use tobacco products.
1. a) Have you tried using tobacco (cigarettes or spit tobacco)? If the person you are
interviewing uses tobacco, answer yes and go to question 1-b and 1-c. If they answer
no, go to question 2.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
b) How old were you when you first tried cigarettes or spit tobacco?
What made you want to try it?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
1. c) Have you ever tried to quit? If yes, how hard was it?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. What are your current beliefs about using tobacco products?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. How does smoking or using spit tobacco affect a person’s health?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Student Resource 7 – Tobacco Interview
4. What is your opinion of second-hand smoke? (Should people be allowed to smoke
in public spaces?)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. What are your beliefs and wishes for me regarding using tobacco?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Do you have any suggestions about how I can remain tobacco-free?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Concept from: Sylvianne Perry Interview
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Student Resource 8
k i d s
Media Presentations
A. Print Advertising
1. Study the magazine ad. Think about what you see and what messages the ad
is delivering about tobacco use. Fill in the following information:
Date on magazine cover: ____________________________________________________
Name of magazine (if available): ______________________________________________
2. Who would read this magazine? What age, gender, type of person is likely to find
this attractive?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. How do the advertisement’s creators get people to read this ad? What are the hooks?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Who do you think is paying for this ad?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. What is shown in the ad? What type of setting is shown? Describe the characters/models
in the ad (age, gender, etc.)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Would you say the advertisement (situation shown in the advertisement) is:
very realistic somewhat realistic unrealistic make believe?
Why? ________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Student Resource 8 – Media Presentations
7. Look at the words and pictures in the advertisement. What is the advertisement
trying to tell you?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
8. What is the advertisement selling besides the product (for example, excitement,
coolness, etc.)?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
9. Did the advertisement make you want to buy the product or to be like the character
in the ad?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
10. Did you find the advertisement:
very successful somewhat successful unsuccessful a real turn-off?
Why? _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Student Resource 8 – Media Presentations
B. TV Program
1. Watch the TV program segment on tape. Think about how the tobacco is used and
what messages the program segment is delivering. Fill in the following information:
Date program aired (if available): ____________________________________________
Title of program (if available):
______________________________________________
What TV station aired the program? At what time of day?
(if available): ________________________________________________________________
2. Describe the characters using the tobacco. Would the characters be different if they
were not using tobacco? Why? Why not?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Is tobacco use a major activity in the program segment?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. What is the overall message about tobacco use in this program segment?
How did the tobacco use appear? Was it cool, exciting or glamorous?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Adapted from: Media Sharp: Analyzing Tobacco and Alcohol Messages. The Office on Smoking and Health Centres for Disease Control, Centre for Substance Abuse Prevention Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, The American Academy of Pediatrics and National Education Association Health Information
Network; Our Health - Our Future - Our Choice Integrated Tobacco Resource: Book 1. Board of School Trustees
School District 2, 1996; Back Talk, Media Wise and Feeling Good. Health Canada.
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Transparency Reference Index
Transparency 1 - What Is a Drug?
For use with: Section III/Grade 5/Lesson 1
Transparency 2 - Drugs May Be Used for Different Reasons
For use with: Section III/Grade 5/Lesson 1
Transparency 3 - Smoking Facts
For use with: Section III/Grade 5/Lesson 1
Transparency 4 - What Is Dependency?
For use with: Section III/Grade 5/Lesson 1
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k i d s
What Is a Drug?
A drug is a substance, other than food,
which is taken to change the way
the body or the mind functions.
Drugs or drug products include:
• medicines (both prescription
and non-prescription drugs)
• caffeine, alcohol, nicotine
• street (illegal) drugs
Adapted from: Sense and Non-Sense: Healthy Choices About Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling - Grade 5. AADAC, 1997.
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Drugs May Be Used
for Different Reasons
Other than for medical reasons,
different people use different drugs
for different reasons.
Some of the reasons people may start to use
drugs include:
• Curiosity
• Problems that cause anger, stress,
boredom or anxiety
• Being influenced by other people such
as famous musicians, actors or athletes
who are known to use drugs
• Being influenced by a group of friends
• Regularly using other drugs
Adapted from: Sense and Non-Sense: Healthy Choices About Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling - Grade 5. AADAC, 1997.
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Smoking Facts
• In Alberta, the majority of smokers start using
before age 20.
• The earlier someone starts using tobacco, the more
difficult it will be to quit.
• In Alberta, the majority of youth don’t use tobacco.
– 80% of 15- to 19-year-olds don’t smoke.
– 73% of 20- to 24-year-olds don’t smoke.
• 86% of Albertan students in grades 5 to 9 have
never tried a cigarette.
• 75% of Albertan students in grades 7 to 12 have
never smoked.
• 68% of Canadian students in grades 5 to 9 smoked
their first whole cigarette between the ages of
12 and 15.
Adapted from: Tobacco Basics Handbook: Third Edition, AADAC, 2007. Kick the Nic Participant Handbook, AADAC
2002. Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 2007, Statistics Canada, 2008; Youth Smoking, 2006/2007, Statistics
Canada, 2009. ATRA Handbook: Tobacco Basics, ATRA, 1999. Sense and Non-Sense: Healthy Choices About Alcohol,
Drugs and Gambling - Grade 5. AADAC, 1997.
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What Is Drug Dependency?
Alcohol or other drug problems
exist when an individual’s use
of a substance results in continued
negative consequences:
• Physical:
negative effects on the body
• Psychological:
negative effects on feelings
and emotions
• Social:
negative effects on relationships
with other people
Adapted from: Sense and Non-Sense: Healthy Choices About Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling - Grade 5. AADAC, 1997.
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Fact Sheet 1
k i d s
The Tobacco Scene
The Facts
• 79% of Albertans (81% of Canadians) 15 years of age and older are not smokers.
• Spit tobacco experimentation among Albertans aged 15 and older is twice
the national average: 17% of Albertans aged 15 years and older report having
tried chewing tobacco.
• 21% of Albertans (15+ years) are current smokers.
• 22% of males and 20% of females aged 15 years and older smoke.
• 16% of males and 24% of females aged 15 to 19 smoke.
• 30% of males and 25% of females aged 20 to 24 smoke.
• 22% of males and 19% of females who are 25 years and older smoke.
• Most smokers start smoking before age 20.
• Over 50% of Alberta students in grades 5 to 9 cited “they think it is cool”
and “their friends smoke” as the top reasons youth start to smoke.
• The earlier people start smoking, the harder it is for them to quit when
they are older.
• The earlier youth become addicted to nicotine, the greater their chances
of developing a tobacco-related disease. Lifetime smokers who begin smoking
by age 15 double their chances of dying prematurely.
• An estimated five million people die from tobacco-related disease worldwide each
year. In Canada, about 37,000 people die each year from tobacco-related diseases
(that’s over 100 people per day). Over 3,000 of these people are Albertans.
• Of Canadian students in grades 5 to 9 who had smoked a whole cigarette,
32% smoked their first whole cigarette by age 11 and 68% smoked their
first whole cigarette between the ages of 12 and 15.
• Aboriginal Canadians have much higher smoking rates than the rest
of the population; an estimated 59% of all Aboriginal Canadians smoke.
• Between 2001 and 2005, there were 29 fire-related deaths in Alberta, from fires
caused by smokers’ materials.
Sources: Tobacco Basics Handbook: Third Edition, AADAC, 2007. Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 2007,
Statistics Canada, 2008. Youth Smoking Survey, 2006/2007, Statistics Canada, 2009. Fire Deaths in Alberta:
A Five-Year Review, Alberta Emergency Management Agency, 2007.
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Fact Sheet 2
k i d s
Tobacco And Your Body
The Facts
• When first trying smoking, it can make you feel sick to your stomach, make you
dizzy or give you diarrhea.
• Nicotine causes the blood vessels to shrink so they cannot absorb as much oxygen
and deliver it to the rest of the body. Oxygen is needed by all body cells in order
for people to live and grow.
• Inside the lungs are tiny brush-like structures called cilia. Cilia sweep germs and
dirt out of the lung to prevent infections. Cigarette smoke damages and eventually
destroys these cilia. Once this happens the lungs cannot be cleaned out and they
become susceptible to diseases such as chronic bronchitis or emphysema.
• A constant invasion of the lungs by polluted air (including cigarette smoke)
can cause cells to change and grow improperly. Cells can grow out of control;
cancerous tumors can develop. Cigarette smoke is a major cause of lung cancer.
• Smoking decreases blood flow to the skin. This can lead to leathery looking
skin and wrinkles.
• Tar from cigarettes can stain your teeth and fingers.
• Smoking is a major cause of heart disease. The nicotine causes the heart rate
to increase and can elevate blood pressure putting extreme stress on the heart.
• Spit tobacco has over 3,000 chemicals, including 28 known carcinogens.
• If you smoke you have a greater chance of developing cataracts — an eye problem
that can cause blindness.
Sources: Tobacco Basics Handbook: Third Edition, AADAC, 2007. Sense and Non-Sense: Healthy Choices About
Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling - Grade 5. AADAC, 1997. Smoke Free Class of 2000 Some Fact About Your Lungs
Grade 5. Alberta Lung Association, 1991. Tobacco Industry’s Poster Child. British Columbia Ministry of Health.
bc.tobaccofacts: A Tobacco Prevention Resource for Teachers - Grade 6. British Columbia Ministry of Health and
Ministry of Education, 1999. ATRA Handbook: Tobacco Basics. ATRA, 1999.
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Fact Sheet 3
k i d s
Tobacco — What’s In It?
The Facts
• Tobacco smoke from a cigarette, cigar, or pipe contains 4000 chemicals —
50 of which are known to cause cancer.
• Nicotine, found in all tobacco products, is a very addictive drug that acts
as a stimulant, causing your heart rate and blood pressure to rise.
• Carbon monoxide, present in tobacco smoke, is the same poisonous gas found
in automobile exhaust. It decreases the amount of oxygen your blood can carry.
• The solid particles in tobacco smoke, consisting of hundreds of chemicals,
are called tar. Tar prevents the normal exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
in your lungs, contributing to shortness of breath and lack of endurance.
As you smoke, tar coats your lungs and increases your risk of lung cancer.
• Other tobacco toxins include: cyanide (poisonous gas), methane (rocket fuel),
formaldehyde (preservation of body tissue), arsenic (rat poison) and acetone
(nail polish remover).
Sources: Tobacco Basics Handbook: Third Edition, AADAC, 2007. Sense and Non-Sense: Healthy Choices About
Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling - Grade 5. AADAC, 1997.
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Fact Sheet 4
k i d s
Tobacco — A Drug
The Facts
• The more a person uses tobacco, the more their body craves it. This is called
an addiction.
• Nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco, is a drug.
• Nicotine is found naturally in the leaves of tobacco plants.
• The effects of nicotine are felt quickly but also wear off quickly, resulting
in the user feeling depressed or tired and craving tobacco (nicotine) again.
• An estimated 75% of chronic bronchitis and emphysema cases result
from smoking.
• 70% to 90% of people who are regular users are addicted to nicotine.
• Until recently, tobacco companies have denied that tobacco is addictive
and have refused to associate it with other drugs.
Sources: bc.tobaccofacts: A Tobacco Prevention Resource for Teachers - Grade 6. British Columbia Ministry of
Health and Ministry of Education, 1999. ATRA Handbook: Tobacco Basics. ATRA, 1999. Let’s Make Smoking History.
Fact Sheet: Tobacco Addiction and Cessation, ATRA, 1999. Fact Sheet #5: Tobacco, Prevention Source BC. Youth
and Tobacco: The Chains of Addiction. National Clearing House on Tobacco and Health, September 1993.
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Fact Sheet 5
k i d s
Spit Tobacco
The Facts
• Spit tobacco (also known as smokeless tobacco) is tobacco that you chew or sniff.
There are several different forms of spit tobacco such as snuff, chew or plug.
These products are placed between the lip or cheek and your gums and then
sucked on to mix with saliva, then finally spit out or swallowed.
• Smokeless doesn’t mean harmless - spit tobacco is dangerous to your health.
It increases the risk of: mouth cancer, throat and stomach cancer, heart disease,
dental disease, stomach problems, loss of taste and smell. It also decreases physical
performance.
• Spit tobacco contains nicotine and is addictive. The nicotine is rapidly absorbed
through the membranes in the mouth, causing a quick “buzz.”
• Spit tobacco has over 3000 chemicals including 28 known to cause cancer.
• Many kids try spit tobacco because their sports heroes use it and they believe
it may improve their performance. Several sporting leagues have prohibited
the use of spit tobacco by players, coaches and officials.
• The industry’s self-described “graduation strategy” is the major factor in
the demand of snuff. Beginners start with flavoured, nicotine-weak brands
and have the “opportunity” to graduate to stronger types of snuff over time.
• 18% of Alberta males aged 15–19 have tried spit tobacco.
• Spit tobacco is not made in Canada. It is imported from the United States.
• A 1998 study showed that 56% of smokeless tobacco users developed white lesions
(called oral leukoplakia) within seven days of use, at the place in their mouth
where they put smokeless tobacco. Leukoplakia can become cancerous.
• Using spit tobacco results in an increased production of saliva (which is often
spit on the ground). This is very unsanitary (spreads germs). Its users will often
have bad breath.
• One can of snuff per day delivers as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes.
Sources: Tobacco Basics Handbook: Third Edition, AADAC, 2007. Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 2007,
Statistics Canada, 2008. Smokeless tobacco: Think before you chew. American Dental Association, 1990. Smokeless
(Spit) Tobacco Health Education Resource Kit: You’d Have To Be Wacko To Chew Tobacco. Wellness and Health
Protection Branch Saskatchewan Health. bc.tobaccofacts: A Tobacco Prevention Resource for Teachers - Grade 6.
British Columbia Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, 1999. Let’s Make Smoking History Fact Sheet:
Smokeless Tobacco. ATRA, 1999. ATRA Handbook: Tobacco Basics. ATRA, 1999. Smokeless Tobacco in Canada,
National Clearing House on Tobacco and Health, April 1997.
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Fact Sheet 6
k i d s
Second-hand Smoke
The Facts
• Second-hand smoke contains 50 cancer-causing chemicals that are inhaled
and absorbed by non-smokers.
• More than 300 non-smokers die each year in Canada from lung cancer related
to second-hand smoke.
• Children who breathe second-hand smoke are at a greater risk for wheezing,
coughing, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and middle-ear disease.
• According to the 2007 Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 8% of Albertans
aged 0 to 17 years were regularly exposed to second-hand smoke in their home.
• The 2006/2007 Youth Smoking Survey showed that 18% of students in grades 5 to
9 were exposed to second-hand smoke in the home every day or almost every day.
• About 700 non-smokers die each year in Canada from heart disease related
to second-hand smoke.
• Studies show that modern ventilation systems do not remove the air pollutants
generated by second-hand smoke.
• Second-hand smoke makes your hair and clothes stink.
• A 1992 report by the Royal College of Physicians in Britain found that children
with smoking parents inhale the same amount of nicotine as if they themselves
smoked 60 to 150 cigarettes a year.
Sources: Tobacco Basics Handbook, AADAC, 2002, 2007. Passive Smoke: Nowhere To Hide. Health Canada, October
1998. ATRA Handbook: Tobacco Basics. ATRA, 1999. Fact Sheet Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Behind the Smoke
Screen. Heart and Stroke Foundation. Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 2007. Statistics Canada, 2008.
Youth Smoking Survey, 2006/2007, Statistics Canada, 2009; Health Canada, 1999. bc.tobaccofacts: A Tobacco
Prevention Resource for Teachers - Grade 6. British Columbia Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, 1999.
ETS & The Tobacco Industry, National Clearing House on Tobacco and Health, March 1997.
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Fact Sheet 7
k i d s
Tobacco — The Law
Federal Tobacco Act
• The purpose of the federal Tobacco Act is to protect the health of Canadians,
protect young persons and others from advertising to promote tobacco products,
protect the health of young persons by restricting access to tobacco products,
and enhance public awareness of the health hazards of using tobacco products.
• The Act prohibits the giving or selling of tobacco products to minors (persons
under the age of 18). Identification that includes photo, birth date and signature
of the individual must be requested from any person whose age is questionable.
• Cigarette papers, tubes and filters are considered tobacco products. It is illegal
to give or sell these products to minors.
• The Act requires that all retailers post a sign stating that it is against the law
to provide tobacco products to minors.
• It is illegal to give single cigarettes to minors, or to sell cigarettes from an open
package or in packages of fewer than 20 cigarettes to anyone.
• Lighters or matches are considered to be accessories and not tobacco products.
• If the lighters or matches contain tobacco brand elements, they must be sold;
giving them free of charge to minors or adults is a prohibited promotion of
the tobacco products.
• Tobacco products cannot be sold from a display that allows customers to handle
the product prior to paying. To prevent self-service, the displays must be beyond
the reach of customers or locked in a way that only staff has access to
the tobacco.
• Tobacco enforcement officers can be employed by Health Canada to educate
retailers and individuals about the Tobacco Act, and to ensure that violations
of the Act are prevented through warnings and prosecution.
• Compliance checks are used by tobacco enforcement officers to evaluate
compliance of retail outlets to the Tobacco Act. Compliance checks are conducted
by tobacco enforcement officers and by test shoppers. A test shopper enters
retail outlets in an attempt to purchase tobacco products. A retailer would fail
a compliance check by selling a tobacco product to a test shopper.
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• Test shoppers, aged 15 or 16, are hired by Health Canada to assist an officer in
checking retailers’ compliance with the Tobacco Act. Test shoppers may be required
to attend court to provide evidence of the tobacco sale should a retail outlet
be charged by the tobacco enforcement officer.
• Tobacco products for retail sale must contain graphic health warnings and product
information provided by Health Canada. The warnings must be displayed in a way
that meets minimum standards provided by Health Canada.
• You can report a violation of the Tobacco Act to Health Canada by calling
780-495-2525.
Examples of Tobacco Violations
There are many ways in which the Tobacco Act is violated by retailers and
by individuals.
Here are a few examples.
• John, who is a minor, age 16, enters a retail outlet and is sold a package of cigarettes.
The retail outlet has now violated the Tobacco Act, by selling tobacco to a minor.
• Jane, who is an adult, age 18, is asked by John to buy tobacco for him and his
friends. Jane purchases the tobacco, and hands it to John, age 16. Jane has now
violated the Tobacco Act, by giving the tobacco to John.
• John, who is a minor, age 16, gives or sells cigarettes to his friends who are also
minors. John has now violated the Tobacco Act, by giving or selling tobacco to
his friends, who are minors.
Provincial Laws
The Tobacco Reduction Act took effect in three phases. The first phase took
effect January 1, 2008, and banned smoking in all public places and workplaces.
(A public place means a place or building that is open to the public, but does not
include a private dwelling.) The first phase also required that people not smoke
within five metres of any door or window that opens. The second phase took
effect July 1, 2008, and banned retail tobacco displays, advertising and promotion
in stores that sell tobacco products (e.g., convenience stores). The third phase
took effect January 1, 2009, and banned the sale of tobacco products from
all health-care facilities, public post-secondary campuses, pharmacies and stores
that contain a pharmacy.
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The Alberta Prevention of Youth Tobacco Use Act took effect April 1, 2003.
This act states that no person under the age of 18 may possess smoke or otherwise
consume tobacco products in public places. Young people under age 18 found in
violation of the act could be fined up to $100.
Municipal Bylaws
Every municipality has the authority to create its own bylaws in relation
to tobacco. These bylaws can vary depending on the community. For example,
Canmore has a bylaw eliminating smoking rooms in hotels, and Okotoks has
a bylaw that bans smoking in cars when someone under 18 is present.
Sources: Prevention of Youth Tobacco Use Act, www.qp.gov.ab.ca, April 2003. Legislation Regulation &
Compliance, Health Canada, www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/tobacco/legislation. Health Canada Tobacco Enforcement
Program AB/NWT & The Tobacco Act, Health Canada, April 1997.
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Tobacco Marketing
The Facts
• Although there are tough laws against direct advertising of tobacco products in
Canada, the tobacco companies have found many ways to market their products,
including sponsorship, product placement in television and film, and some print
advertisements through American magazines.
• For example, tobacco companies have sponsored elite sports that associate tobacco
use with some or all of the following characteristics: fitness, health, excitement,
risk-taking and independence. Sporting event sponsorships also provide tobacco
companies with attractive and powerful role models.
• Canadian tobacco manufacturers spend an estimated $35 million each year on
sports sponsorships and an additional $25 million on other events such as car
races, jazz festivals, and rodeos.
• A Health Canada report states that young people are heavily influenced
by sponsorship promotions and by tobacco advertising.
• The tobacco industry has targeted children and teenagers to replace smokers
who have quit or died. Through clever advertising and promotion strategies,
the industry uses provocative imagery to make its products appeal to youth.
• The following messages are common in tobacco advertising and promotion:
· Tobacco is a rite of passage.
· Successful, popular, independent and attractive people use tobacco.
· Tobacco is relaxing, safe and healthful.
· Tobacco use is the norm.
• One of the major ways of promoting a tobacco product brand name is through
tobacco packaging. Tobacco packaging is carefully designed to appeal to
the targeted market and becomes an ad in itself. In June 2000, the federal
government passed regulations that require tobacco companies to put graphic
health warning messages on the packages. These images cover 50% of the display
surface of all tobacco products.
• To promote its products, the industry has signed deals with movie stars idolized
by young people. For example, a tobacco company paid Sylvester Stallone
$500,000 to smoke its cigarettes in five of his movies, including Rambo.
Sources: Let’s Make Smoking History. Fact Sheet: Sponsorship. ATRA, 1999; Let’s Make Smoking History. Fact Sheet:
Tobacco Industry Tactics. ATRA, 1999; Back Talk, Media Wise and Feeling Good, Health Canada.
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Tobacco: A Sacred Plant
Traditional Use of Tobacco in Aboriginal Cultures
In Aboriginal cultures, sacred tobacco is mostly used as an offering and as a way
of talking with the Creator.
Ceremonies and traditions where tobacco is used are numerous and vary from
one culture to another.
Tobacco smoke — rituals
The most common traditional use of tobacco is to burn it in a ceremony
as a symbol of
• thanking and honouring the Creator
• linking thoughts, feelings and prayers with the Creator
• purification
In most common practices
• tobacco leaves are smoked in a pipe
• tobacco leaves are burned on coals or thrown on a fire
• smoke is waved around people or objects
In all these instances, tobacco smoke does not have to be inhaled to connect with
the Creator. According to the ritual, other sacred plants are also mixed with tobacco
(cedar leaves, sage, sweet grass, pine or juniper needles).
Sacred tobacco without smoke
In certain cultures, tobacco leaves are offered without burning them. Like smoke,
the sacred plant enables one to communicate with the Creator or Mother Earth, to
thank them and to be blessed by the Spirits. For example, one can ask for protection
or assistance by placing tobacco leaves on the ground, on the water, or near rocks,
trees and sacred places. Tobacco is offered this way as a symbol of respect and
gratitude.
Worn on one’s body or hung in the house, tobacco also keeps bad spirits at bay.
Tobacco may also be offered as a gift to an Elder as a sign of thanks and respect.
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The pipe ceremony
The pipe ceremony is an important ritual of sharing and gathering. It is often
conducted at the opening of an event, a meeting, a negotiation or a gathering.
Pipe smoke is offered in all four directions, then towards the sky and the earth.
Everyone present takes a turn blowing the smoke or waving it around his/her body
to create a sense of communion with the Creator and creation.
According to tradition, this ritual’s purpose is to:
• ask for guidance in projects
• protect the well being of individuals and the community
Adapted from: Yes, I Quit Program Facilitator’s Guide: Group cessation method for First Nations Direction de la
sante publique de Montreal-Centre and Health Canada, 1997.