Injury Prevention Programs Set For Nova Scotia Schools

Three programs to help reduce injuries among youth roll into high schools across the province next week.

The three initiatives -- Heroes, the Party program and speaker Cara Johnston -- will reach more than 11,000 students from Cape Breton to Yarmouth.

"Each program is different, yet all three are designed with the same goal ... reducing injuries and injury-related deaths among our youth," said Health Minister Jamie Muir. "Injury is the leading cause of death and disability among Nova Scotians under the age of 45, with motor vehicle collisions the primary cause of injury and death among teenagers. We believe most of these injuries can be prevented."

The three programs will move around the province in April and May, visiting almost 20 high schools.

Heroes encourages young people to make choices that will prevent them from being injured. At each presentation, a young injury survivor talks candidly about how their injury has affected their life. The Heroes program will make stops in Sydney Mines, Halifax and Yarmouth.

The Party is an interactive injury prevention program that allows teenagers to observe the path of an injury survivor, starting with a simulated car crash through a patient's rehabilitation. The program, which takes up an entire school day, has already been held in Middle Musquodoboit and travels to Parrsboro and Sheet Harbour.

Cara Johnston is a powerful speaker who brings her own personal injury story to Nova Scotia students. Her twin sister was killed in a motor vehicle collision the day after their 18th birthday. Cara will visit schools Metro Halifax, the Annapolis Valley, Truro, the south shore, New Glasgow and Antigonish.

The Heroes and Party programs have been organized in part by the Nova Scotia Trauma Program, a branch of the Emergency Health Services (EHS) division of the Department of Health.

The Nova Scotia Trauma Program was established by EHS in 1997 to facilitate the provision of optimal trauma care in Nova Scotia through leadership in injury prevention and control, education, research and trauma system development.

Several sponsors helped fund some of these injury prevention initiatives. They include Tri-Star Industries, Marsh Canada, CGU/Scottish and York Insurance and Cunningham Lindsey Canada.

Cara Johnston's speaking tour has been arranged by the Department of Transportation and Public Works.

NOTE: These events are opportunities to talk to staff involved in injury prevention in Nova Scotia as well as students and the speakers.

They take place as follows.

Heroes:

• Tuesday, April 23
  Memorial Composite High School
  Sydney Mines, Cape Breton Regional Municipality
  9:05 a.m., 10:35 a.m. and 12:35 p.m.

• Friday, April 26
  Queen Elizabeth High School
  Halifax Regional Municipality
  9:40 a.m. and 1 p.m.

• Tuesday, April 30
  Yarmouth Consolidated High School
  Yarmouth, Yarmouth Co.
  1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m.

Party:

• Wednesday, April 26
  Parrsboro Regional High School
  Parrsboro, Colchester Co.
  9 a.m.

• Tuesday, May 7
  Eastern Shore Memorial Hospital
  Sheet Harbour, Halifax Regional Municipality
  for students from Duncan MacMillan High School
  9 a.m.

• Tuesday, May 14
  Eastern Shore Memorial Hospital
  Sheet Harbour, Halifax Regional Municipality
  for students from Duncan MacMillan High School
  9 a.m.

• Tuesday, May 21
  Eastern Shore Memorial Hospital
  Sheet Harbour, Halifax Regional Municipality
  for students from Duncan MacMillan High School
  9 a.m.

Ms. Johnston's schedule was distributed on Wednesday, April 17, with a release from the Department of Transportation and Public Works.