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Keeping our kids tobacco-free!
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| NOT TO KIDS! is a partnership of public health agencies, community members, school boards and retailers. Currently there are 31 public health agencies across Ontario working together to keep our kids tobacco-free. The Not to Kids Coalition respects the traditional use of tobacco within aboriginal communities.
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| NOT TO KIDS! statistics
(2004): |
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Population: |
over 12 million
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Youth: |
over 1million
(ages 12 to 19) |
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Youth smokers: |
approx. 185,000 |
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Tobacco Vendors |
almost 16,000 |
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NOT TO KIDS! is helping
to stop the flow of tobacco to youth by reminding both retailers
and the community that it is against the law to sell or supply
tobacco to anyone under 19. NOT TO KIDS! is also involved in preventative work addressing chew/snuff tobacco and youth.
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| The Smoke-Free Ontario Act 2005 (SFO Act) came into effectMay 31, 2006 replacing the Tobacco Control Act of 1994. The SFO Act
makes it against the law to sell, buy for or give tobacco (even
one cigarette) to anyone under the age of 19. In most places
in Ontario, Tobacco Enforcement Officers with Health Units or
Departments enforce this law. |
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31 public health agencies in Ontario
are now part of NOT TO KIDS! including:.
| Algoma Health Unit |
Chatham-Kent Public Health
Services |
| Grey-Bruce Health Unit |
Elgin-St.Thomas Health Unit |
| Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit |
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine
Ridge District Health Unit |
| Hamilton, Social & Public Health Services Department |
Halton Region Health Department |
| Huron County Health Unit |
Hastings & Prince Edward
Counties Health Unit |
| Middlesex - London Health Unit |
Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox
& Addington Public Health |
| North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit |
Niagara Regional Health Department |
| Ottawa Public Health |
Northwestern Health Unit |
| Region of Peel Health Department |
Oxford County Public Health
and Emergency Services |
| Peterborough County-City Health Unit |
Perth District Health Unit
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| Renfrew County Health Unit |
Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit |
| Sudbury & District Health Unit |
Timiskaming Health Unit |
| York Region Health Services |
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health |
| Windsor Essex County Health Unit |
County of Lambton Community Health |
| Porcupine Health Unit |
Thunder Bay District Health Unit |
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| It’s upsetting for parents when
their kids come home with cigarettes. And it’s important to
realize that someone broke the law by selling, buying for or
giving young people cigarettes. Youth in the NOT TO KIDS! regions
often know more about the law and the consequences of the law
as compared to youth in other regions of Ontario. |
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Here’s
what you can do: |
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If you are approached by a young
person to buy or give them cigarettes (even one), don’t do it.
You could be charged. |
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If you are a smoker, don’t give
cigarettes to anyone under age 19 and don't send anyone under
age 19 to the store to buy cigarettes for you. It’s against
the law. |
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Remind store clerks to check for
ID when selling cigarettes. People must be age 19 or over to
be sold tobacco. |
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Give your business to stores that
you know do not sell cigarettes to kids. |
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Report any stores selling or people
supplying cigarettes to kids under 19 to the your local public
health agency. |
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Funding
for this program is provided in part by the Ontario Tobacco
Strategy, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care,
and by Health Canada. No endorsement by the provincial or
federal governements is intended or should be inferred.
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