The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The second instalment of a successful teen smoking prevention program is underway in schools across Manitoba, Health Minister Tim Sale and Education, Citizenship and Youth Minister Peter Bjornson announced this week. "Review and Rate II provides Manitoba teens with information they can use to make informed decisions on tobacco use, while allowing them to play an important role in guiding the province's tobacco control strategies," said Sale. "More than 31,000 Manitoba youth took part in Review and Rate last year and I'm pleased we're able to offer this valuable program again this fall." "At the end of last year's program, students and teachers told us that Review and Rate was a great way to reach out to youth and engage them in discussions about smoking," said Bjornson. "This innovative education program encourages classroom discussion and really helps students learn about the negative consequences of using tobacco." In the Review and Rate program, students in Grade 6 through Senior 4 view 12 anti-smoking television ads selected by youth focus groups in Manitoba. The students identify the ads that are the most effective in communicating the consequences of tobacco use. The ad selected most effective by the highest number of students will be aired provincewide in 2006. Schools will receive videotapes, facilitator guides for teachers and ballots for students to use in rating the commercials. New this year is an additional resource for teachers containing facts on tobacco use that they can use to engage students in classroom discussions. "Feedback from teachers who ran the first Review and Rate program indicated that such a resource would be a helpful tool in discussing some of the different scenarios and approaches presented in the ads," said Bjornson. Students participating in the program will be eligible to win one of 20 Apple iPod Shuffles. Review and Rate is just one component of the Manitoba government's comprehensive tobacco control strategy, focused primarily on youth. For more information on tobacco control in Manitoba, visit www.gov.mb.ca/healthyliving/smoking.html.
