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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2007-08-15, Page 14ES Crossroads 14 Times -Advocate Wednesday, August 15, 2007 Students rally to ban smoking on beaches By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF GRAND BEND — The movement to butt out smoking from public beaches hit Grand Bend last week as about 110 youths from nine Southwestern Ontario groups held a rally at the main beach Thursday. Among those participating was a group from Huron County, "Rebels with a Cause," consisting of 10 youths employed by the Huron County Health Unit as part of the Youth Action Alliance initiative of Smoke -Free Ontario. Last Thursday's rally in Grand Bend, called "Smoke -Free Beaches — No ifs, ands or butts," saw the students set up information booths and signs concern- ing facts about smoking and second- hand smoke. There were also games and a "Speaker's Corner," in which members of the public could tell stories about how smoking has affected their lives. Exeter -area resident Aaron Neeb, a recent graduate of South Huron District High School, is one of the local members of "Rebels with a Cause." He said last week's rally was an effort to raise awareness about second hand smoke on beaches. Citing an article called, "Real - Time Measurements of Outdoor Tobacco Smoke Particles" by scientist Neil E. Klepeis, Neeb said second-hand smoke outside is just as detrimental to a person's health as it is inside. Another factor in the movement to ban smoking from beaches is the environ- mental impact it has — the discarded butts can kill animals such as seagulls and fish and pollute the water. It is estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered every year, while it can take 12 years for a cigarette to decom- pose. Among the information on display at the beach was a "forest" of signs shaped like trees giving different facts about smoking. There was also a list provided detailing some of the 4,000 chemicals found in cigarette smoke, including Butt out — Students from across Southwestern Ontario rallied at the main beach in Grand Bend last week in an effort to ban smoking from beaches.Among those involved was a group from Huron County called "Rebels with a Cause," including above from left, Caresse Barnim from Goderich District Collegiate Institute (GCDI), Mandy Eveland and Aaron Neeb from South Huron District High School, Brandon Coleman from Central Huron, Jessica Johnston from St.Anne's and Abby Feagan and Geneva Neal from GDCI. (photos/Scott Nixon) nickel, chromium, formaldehyde, ammonia and carbon monoxide. Jessie Unsworth of Petrolia was on hand as part of a group called "Sarnia Lambton Teens Against Tobacco Industry Control (STATIC). She said there are a lot of discarded cigarette butts at the Grand Bend beach, noting she could see one every three paces. At the beach in Canatara, she and her group picked up enough discarded ciga- rette butts to fill two large goldfish bowls. "It's just unreal," Unsworth said. ; phi tqt WAVT]ob�is sliga P{Va 11fr WANT TO LAI STVOCE RE, "People think the beach is an ashtray." Besides banning smoking from beach- es, other ideas are to have smoking sec- tions or large ashtrays so butts aren't discarded in the sand. Lyndsay Snowe, the youth advisor with the Huron County Health Unit for "Rebels with a Cause," said she was pleased with last week's rally. She said the students received positive feedback from the public and talked to many peo- ple on the beach. In addition to dealing with the health effects of smoking, "Rebels with a Cause" looks at how the tobacco indus- try targets youth, Snowe said. Snowe said California already has a smoking ban on its beaches and Michigan is looking at the issue. She added "Rebels with a Cause" is doing a beach cleanup in Goderich Aug. 22 and will have an information booth at the Zurich Beanfest. The program will continue into the upcoming school year. For those looking for more information on "Rebels with a Cause," Snowe can be reached at (519) 482-3416, ext. 2556. Anti-smoking rally —About 110 youths participated in a rally last week in Grand Bend in an effort to make beaches smoke-free. From left in the upper left photo are Janessa Moore, Jessie Unsworth and Devon McGill from Sarnia Lambton Teens Against Tobacco Industry Control, holding a bowl of discarded cig- arette butts they collected at Canatara beach; above from left are Brad Caven, Bryndan Boonstra,Autumn Hachey, Jenn McDonald, Cassondra Dillman and Julie Welch from the Grey -Bruce Public Health Unit; at left catching the football is Jorge Caxaj of the Stratford Perth Health Unit, while Kyle Dafoe of London looks on.