Volunteers Making a Difference in Tobacco Control
CANCER CARE N.S.--Volunteers Making a Difference in Tobacco Control
Volunteers in communities throughout Nova Scotia are making a difference in tobacco control through a program called Action in Your Community Against Tobacco (ACT). ACT is led by Cancer Care Nova Scotia and the Canadian Cancer Society - Nova Scotia Division.
The program directly supports the community-development component of the provincial Tobacco Control Strategy. It recognizes that community members must become involved and work together to reduce the impact of tobacco use in their communities.
"Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable cancers," said Dr. Andrew Padmos, commissioner of Cancer Care Nova Scotia. "Through ACT, we are working with others to support non-smoking in communities throughout Nova Scotia."
The ACT tool kit -- used by volunteers to promote smoke-free communities -- is full of tried and proven activities that focus on three main areas: helping to prevent youth from smoking; supporting people who are trying to quit; and protecting community members from the dangers of second-hand smoke. The program is supported by a network of community volunteers.
An independent review of ACT by Stylus Consulting concluded that the program is making a valuable contribution toward changing tobacco use in Nova Scotia. ACT was developed in response to the need for community action on tobacco issues and to ensure a comprehensive approach to tobacco control.
The ACT tool kit received high ratings for its content and design and has been well received by volunteers across the province. Volunteers know that their involvement in ACT is making an important contribution to addressing local tobacco issues.
"The tool kit is a tremendous source of information and materials," said Catherine MacLellan, an ACT volunteer and student at Cobequid Educational Centre in Truro. "We used it to create a youth cessation program in our community. My experience as an ACT volunteer has been extremely positive."
"The partnership between all the organizations supporting ACT has been critical to the success of this initiative," said Maureen Summers, executive director of the Canadian Cancer Society - Nova Scotia Division. "ACT has proven to be a great program that is helping to raise awareness and mobilize communities to take action against tobacco".
Twenty-five per cent of Nova Scotians aged 15 and over currently smoke, compared to 22 per cent of Canadians. Tobacco use is Nova Scotia's number one cause of preventable illness and death, claiming the lives of 1,650 Nova Scotians every year. The health risks of smoking are not limited to smokers. Two hundred Nova Scotians die every year from exposure to second-hand smoke.
The ACT steering committee includes representatives from Cancer Care Nova Scotia; the Canadian Cancer Society - Nova Scotia Division; the Tobacco Control Unit of the Department of Health; Public Health Services in Capital Health and districts 4, 5 and 6; Addiction Services in districts 1, 2 and 3; the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia; and the Health Promotion Clearinghouse.
The Canadian Cancer Society - Nova Scotia Division is a community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer.
Cancer Care Nova Scotia is a program of the Department of Health, created to reduce the burden of cancer on individuals, families and the health-care system through prevention, screening, education and research.