London, ON – Coming halfway through National Non-Smoking Week, tomorrow marks the annual Weedless Wednesday, when smokers are encouraged to avoid lighting up as a first step to giving up tobacco altogether. Building on the idea of Weedless Wednesday, the youth who make up the Middlesex-London Health Unit’s One Life One You group are striving towards the goal of having no new tobacco users in Ontario. The youth have been hard at work raising the alarm bells about the flavours used in some tobacco products and how smoking is still permitted in places where children and youth work and play. Weedless Wednesday provides an opportunity to highlight these concerns.

“Weedless Wednesday is a call to action, not just for people to try to stop using tobacco products for the day, but for the government of Ontario to pass Bill 131, the Youth Smoking Prevention Act,” says Eleane Paguaga, member of One Life One You. “It is time to ban the addition of flavours to tobacco products and the smoking of tobacco products in places and settings that affect youth.”

Bill 131, received first reading in the provincial legislature on November 18th, 2013. If passed, the amendment to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act will prohibit the addition of flavours, which can tempt youth, to tobacco products in Ontario and place tougher restrictions on smoking in places like patios and outdoor sports fields. One Life One You is calling on Middlesex-London residents to contact their MPPs and ask them to support Bill 131.

Over the last year, One Life One You and other youth groups have worked diligently to raise awareness about tobacco-related issues that affect youth and the strategies used by the tobacco industry to entice new customers. With smoking still allowed on bar and restaurant patios in Ontario, youth and children are still exposed to harmful cigarette smoke. Also, despite local bylaws in Ontario communities, including London, which place restrictions on smoking in outdoor public places geared to children and youth, there is currently no consistent, province-wide regulation on smoking near sports fields or playgrounds.

For those looking to free themselves from tobacco addiction, the Middlesex-London Health Unit is offering tobacco cessation workshops, where smokers can access free nicotine replacement therapy on February 20th from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and on February 25th from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. For more information, please call 519-663-5317, extension 2675.

Media contact:
Dan Flaherty, Communications Manager, Middlesex-London Health Unit, 663-5317 ext.2469

Spokesperson:
Eleane Paguaga, member of One Life One You, Middlesex-London Health Unit