World No Tobacco Day 2011
Each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) celebrates World No Tobacco Day to call attention to the devastation caused by tobacco use. The 2011 theme - The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control highlights the treaty's overall importance, to stress Parties' obligations under the treaty and to promote the essential role of the Conference of the Parties and WHO in supporting countries' efforts to meet those obligations.
The Conference of the Parties is the treaty's central organ and governing body. The first treaty ever negotiated under the auspices of WHO represents a significant achievement in the advancement of public health. In force since 2005, it is already one of the most rapidly and widely embraced treaties in the history of the United Nations, with more than 170 Parties. Youth throughout the Northeast Health District organized many events in their communities to show support and help in global efforts to reduce and/or eliminate tobacco use.
We applaud these youth for their dedication and creativeness in celebrating this significant event in tobacco control. The following are summaries, by county, of the events that occurred for World No Tobacco Day 2011.
Carbon County
Power of 10 students from Weatherly and Jim Thorpe School Districts met in downtown Jim Thorpe at Josiah White Park to host their World No Tobacco Day Event. Students, adult facilitators, community members, and two county commissioners, Wayne Nothstein and Charles Getz, attended. There was an information display table, lighted luminaries in the shape of a “NO” to tobacco symbol and everyone participated in a tobacco litter pick-up. Some students also held signs on the sidewalk which read HONK if you are TOBACCO FREE and We are picking up your tobacco trash, while others, including Commissioner Getz, put on gloves and picked up tobacco litter. Across the street at a local restaurant, a local band entertained the crowd and invited people to stop at the info tables.
A freelance photo journalist snapped a few photos of our students to submit to the local paper.
From left to right: Jennifer Rusbarsky, Brooke Tworkowsky, Bridget McFadden, Susan Funk, Eliza Busher, Keith Blackwell, Brittany Isom, Rachel Moon, Michael Kalage, Commissioners Wayne Nothstein, and Charles Getz, Becky McFadden, Jane Adams and Jacqui Verhauz.
Lackawanna
Power of 10 students from United Neighborhood Center had a store front display (above) in the Steamtown Mall where information was provided about the harmful effects of smoking. Cessation information was given to shoppers who were interested in quitting and information was available on how to be smoke-free. People could also sign a smoke-free pledge (right) which received a large number of signatures!
Lehigh Valley
WNTD was held at the community center on Scenic View Drive in Lower Macungie. Events included a dance contest, football toss, tennis match & coloring contest. Following activities in the extreme heat, peer educators along with event participants enjoyed pizza while listening to a tobacco educator explain about the dangerous new tobacco products, as well as other tobacco use.
From: Students from the Community Center in Lower Macungie celebrating World No Tobacco Day
Luzerne County
Luzerne County youth at Lake Lehman High School celebrated World No Tobacco Day by visiting their elementary school at Lake Noxen Elementary. These students are members of the Lake Lehman Power of 10 and their goal is to educate kids, teens and adults about the dangers of using tobacco products. During their visit at Lake Noxen Elementary, student advocates presented information on tobacco and interactive activities. Power of 10 at Hanover Area High School displayed luminaries representing the 1,200 people a day who die from smoking related illnesses. The Serento Gardens Power of 10 youth held a tobacco information night at Memorial Park in Hazleton. The students displayed pigs lungs and a cigarette chemical display.
Above Left: Lake Lehman High School students explain to elementarystudents the importance of World No Tobacco Day
Left: Mike Pino, Stinky Ciggy (Ashley Dudinyak) and Chelsea Ksanznak at Hazelton's Memorial Park
Monroe County
East Stroudsburg High School South Power of 10 teens held an event at their school on World No Tobacco Day for the first time. They created a video broadcast for the entire student body about 1,300 students.
The broadcast explained the significance of World No Tobacco Day, provided education on the dangers of tobacco, and encouraged young people not to smoke. In addition, during the week prior to World No Tobacco Day, P10 youth provided prevention education with 40 sixth grade students at Pleasant Valley Intermediate School. Besides playing educational games with the youth and creating interactive skits, P10 students provided materials for each homeroom teacher to take back to their sixth grade classes.
These resources could be used by teachers to celebrate World No Tobacco Day at their school.
Pike County
Delaware Valley High School Power of 10 teens used luminaries to illustrate the number of deaths in Pike County each year from tobacco. Students displayed the luminaries during the school day to mark World No Tobacco Day and remember those lost to the effects of tobacco.
Susquehanna County
Blue Ridge Middle School hosted Power of 10 teens who educated students in 2 sixth grade classes. The presentation included an opening activity – The Math Test -- students take a timed math test of what appears to be simple math problems. Unknown to them at the time, the real directions were in small print at the top of the page and they ended up getting all of the problems wrong. Power of 10 members worked with students asking them to always look at the small print – they compared this exercise with what tobacco companies do to draw people their age in – dangers in small print – and bank on everyone just looking at the large, attractive print.
Next, the P10 students showed the video, I Can’t Breathe, A Smoker Story, a video from the True Life series by MTV. Afterwards, students discussed this video with P10 teens, asked questions and reviewed the facts.
Some students shared stories of people in their lives that have had serious illness and death associated with tobacco use. Finally, P10 students had the 6th graders sign a banner meant to show their commitment to being smoke-free and advocating for clean air in their lives.
Above: Maggie Darrow, Troy Carey, Ally Phillips and Jessica Jingoor hold up the banner 6th grade students signed pledging to be tobacco free
► Please send any comments or suggestions for this and future Newsletters to us here. Your input is valued and appreciated. Please feel free to distribute this Newsletter to others who may be interested. Tobacco Free Northeast PA at Burn Prevention Network is funded by a grant from the PA Department of Health Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control Program to manage tobacco programming in the 10 counties of the Northeast Health District which includes: Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming. Tobacco programming in the District is comprised of teen prevention and advocacy, tobacco free policies and tobacco treatment programs. Please visit our website at www.tobaccofreene.com or call 1-866-974-QUIT (7848) for minformation. Tobacco Free Northeast PA does not discriminate with regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry or place of birth, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, handicap or disability
