Back Off Tobacco · Back Off Tobacco | Tobacco Education for Manitoba Students | Grade 8 | Page 3 Tobacco education can be controversial because students’ relatives or family members

Manitoba Healthy Living, Youth and SeniorsAddictions Foundation of Manitoba

Manitoba Education

Grade 8

Back Off TobaccoBack Off Tobacco

Tobacco Education for Manitoba Students

Table of ContentsWelcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

What to emphasize when teaching Back Off Tobacco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

What to avoid when teaching Back Off Tobacco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Helping high-risk students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Creating community support for tobacco education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

A final note, if you smoke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Grade 8 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Grade 8 goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Health education curricular overview for Grade 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Grade 8 lessons at a glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Lesson One – So What Do You Know? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Myth for the Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

To Tell the Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Reasons for Smoking/Not Smoking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Working with Peers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Tobacco Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Student Smoking Interview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Peer Leader Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

People Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Smoker’s Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Lesson Two – The Great Escape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Myth for the Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Ten Scenario Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Lesson Three – Tobacco: Ceremonial Smoke or Deadly Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Myth for the Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

K – W – L Activity Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Tobacco: Ceremonial Smoke or Deadly Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

WelcomeWelcome to Manitoba’s Back Off Tobacco resource package for teachers .

The following lessons and information pages are matched to selected learning outcomes contained in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 Physical Education/Health Education Manitoba Curriculum Framework of Outcomes for Active Healthy Lifestyles (www .edu .gov .mb .ca/k12/cur/physhlth/framework/index .html) . In addition, some lessons include curricular connections with math, science and English language arts .

This package has been developed through the efforts of three organizations: Manitoba Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors; the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba and Manitoba Education .

Other jurisdictions across Canada have also created similar programs for the delivery of tobacco education in schools . This resource is built particularly on the work done in British Columbia .

Back Off Tobacco | Tobacco Education for Manitoba Students | Grade 8 | Page 1

http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/physhlth/framework/index.html

http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/physhlth/framework/index.html

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AcknowledgementsWe gratefully acknowledge the permission of The Heart and Stroke Foundation of British Columbia and Yukon to use bc.tobaccofacts as a base for many of the lessons and resources in Back Off Tobacco .

Additionally, we would like to thank the teachers, librarians and specialists from the various organizations and schools in Manitoba and British Columbia who have helped find materials, suggest approaches and try out the lesson plans . Without this work, we would not be able to move forward with confidence .

© 2009 Addictions Foundation of Manitoba


Tobacco education can be controversial because students’ relatives or family members may use tobacco and be addicted to it . This introductory section includes ways in which those concerns can be managed .

Although education about tobacco has taken place in Manitoba schools for a long time, Back Off Tobacco matches lessons to the Substance Use and Prevention-related learning outcomes in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 Physical Education/Health Education Manitoba Curriculum Framework of Outcomes for Active Healthy Lifestyles document . The focus of the curricular outcomes is on developing age-appropriate communication and interpersonal skills, including assertiveness and resistance training, that promote health-enhancing decision-making to avoid/refuse use of harmful products, including tobacco .

In addition, many of the lessons in Back Off Tobacco have applications in other curricular areas, such as science, math and especially English language arts . Each lesson lists specific outcomes from the English specific learning outcomes documentation .

This publication may include links to websites to help you find other relevant information quickly and easily . This publication does not endorse or approve the contents of any third party websites referenced within .

Introduction


Show the effects – immediate and long term – on the student’s body, appearance and social life

Programs should help students understand that tobacco use can lower their stamina, stain their teeth, make their breath smell bad, make their clothes smelly, worsen their asthma and make their non-smoking friends avoid them . Equally, programs should help students understand that keeping their body healthy from an early age gives them a better chance for a healthier life as they grow into adulthood and beyond to middle- and old age .

Emphasize new social attitudes that make smoking an antisocial activity

Programs should aim to make tobacco use less socially acceptable, highlight the anti-tobacco attitudes already held by society, and help students understand that most adolescents don’t smoke .

Highlight better ways than smoking to be accepted, appear mature and cope with stress

Programs should help students understand that some adolescents smoke so they’ll be accepted by peers, appear mature or be better able to cope with stress . Programs should help students develop more positive ways of reaching those goals .

Debunk social influences that promote tobacco use

Programs should help students develop skills in recognizing and refuting tobacco promotion messages from the media, adults and peers .

Reinforce skills for resisting social influences that promote tobacco use

Programs should help students develop refusal skills and develop the motivation to use them through direct instruction, modelling, rehearsal and reinforcement . Students should also learn to help others develop these skills .

Nurture general personal and social skills

Programs should help students develop the assertiveness, communication, goal-setting and problem-solving skills that let them avoid both tobacco use and other health risk behaviours .2

Sources:1 Health Canada (1994) School Smoking Prevention

Programs: A National Survey . Minister of Supply and Services, Canada .

2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1994) “Guidelines for school health programs to prevent tobacco use and addiction .” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 43 (RR-2), 1-18 .

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What to emphasize when teaching

Children and youth start to smoke for a variety of reasons, so it’s no surprise that some approaches work better than others with different students and different grade levels . In Canada, effectiveness criteria for school prevention programs have been identified by Health Canada and the National Cancer Institute of Canada .1 They are consistent with the guidelines identified by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention and suggest approaching tobacco education on several fronts, including the following six messages:

Back Off Tobacco


Suggesting that kids who smoke are “bad”

More often than not, this approach backfires, especially with high-risk students because it makes smoking a vehicle for rebellion . Furthermore, there may be some students in your classroom who are experimenting with tobacco or who are already smoking; both these groups could be harmed by being labelled . Remember back to your own junior high days and remember what a powerful force peer pressure was in your circles . Today’s kids are no different . Labels don’t teach; instead they diminish interest in learning new responses to existing behaviour .

Implying that smoking is “dumb” Children need to be able to respect their parents and other adults in their lives, regardless of whether or not they smoke . By learning that nicotine is addictive, and that society has only recently realized how deadly smoking is, children can separate their own choices from the choices adult smokers have made in the past .

Excluding students who have already decided not to smoke

Some students may have already decided not to smoke . If this is the case, they can learn ways to support others to choose not to use tobacco . They will also learn skills that will help them to make healthy choices in other parts of their lives .

Encouraging children to criticize smoking at home

Even indirectly, this is a big mistake . Some parents may see the school intruding into their lives, and you could lose any support they’ve been giving your smoking prevention efforts . Help these youth realize that many adults smoke because it’s difficult to quit, not because they want to cause harm to themselves .

Expecting children to assert their rights Kids will learn that second-hand smoke is harmful, and they will learn the skills to negotiate difficult social situations . But they may experience conflict, fear and/or embarrassment that family members would do something to harm others . Support kids to separate their feelings about smoking (which is harmful) from how they feel about the smoker (who is addicted) .

Telling children smoking will kill you This may induce anxiety in students whose parents or relatives smoke . Be sensitive in how you use information about fatal diseases by emphasizing that these risks are generally long-term, and that quitting smoking can reverse this trend .

Warning older students they’ll die if they smoke

Frankly, they won’t believe you and research shows this threat can do more harm than good . It’s better to focus on the immediate consequences: stinky breath, hair and clothes; yellow teeth and fingers, addiction, bad breath, clinging tobacco smell, financial costs, increased coughing, illness, asthma attacks and bronchial infections .

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What to avoid when teaching

With so much at stake, it’s easy to go overboard . Watch out for these pitfalls:

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Thinking you’ve failed if a student starts smoking

Young people start smoking for many complex reasons . Sometimes it’s the norm in their homes, a way of coping with stress, a rite of passage or a badge of independence . You’re competing with a very powerful media machine, as well as strong cultural forces . As long as society continues to send mixed messages about smoking, young people will continue to take up the habit .

The best you can do is to foster critical thinking, boost your students’ self-esteem and equip them with the skills, motivation and information they need to make their own positive lifestyle choices . It is especially important to help kids develop the belief that they can resist using tobacco .

And remember: you’ll probably see some of your students smoking . What you’ll never see is how many didn’t start because of their classroom experience .

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Helping high-risk studentsMany factors can put students at a higher risk of using tobacco . Some of the key indicators are:

• lower economic status

• less-educated family

• peers who use tobacco

• parents and siblings who use tobacco

• living in a community that supports the use of tobacco

• periods of major transition such as moving from one school to another, family discord and so on

• lower self-esteem

• poor academic record

• rebellious or “deviant” behaviour patterns

You can respond to these factors by using certain strategies in the classroom . You’ll find that Back Off Tobacco lessons are set up to encourage the following teaching strategies:

• deliver lessons that are inclusive and developmentally appropriate

• involve group work with leadership opportunities

• encourage students to recognize and critically examine the factors that may lead them to use tobacco

• offer a variety of student-centred activities that encourage critical thinking

• reinforce success

• redirect their rebelliousness towards the marketing strategies of the tobacco industry

Creating community support for tobacco educationTo be most effective, a tobacco-free message should reach students in as many ways as possible . Here are ways to involve others and make the most of your tobacco-free teaching .

Review your school’s smoking policySchools that allow smoking on their grounds graduate 25 per cent more smokers per class than schools that don’t .1 Without smoke-free policies, an anti-tobacco curriculum can be seriously undermined .

Include parentsFind ways to allow parents to support your efforts and feel included . You’ll find some suggestions in the Home/Community Involvement section of the lesson plans .

Encourage your students to explore the many resources in your communityRegional advocacy groups and other health workers can offer posters, brochures, videos, websites and guest speakers to supplement your lessons .

Co-ordinate your lessons around provincial or national eventsYou can make the most of provincial or nation-wide publicity by participating in events such as National Non-Smoking Week (held each year during the third week of January), World No Tobacco Day (sponsored each May 31st by the World Health Organization) and National Drug Awareness Week (third week of November) .1 Porter, Alan . Disciplinary attitudes and cigarette smoking: A comparison of two schools . Family Medicine, vol 285, 11 December 1982, 1725-27 .

A final note, if you smokeIt can be tempting to hide your own smoking from your students . But having them catch you smoking if you haven’t come clean with them can lead to real disillusionment .

So why not use your position to advantage?

• Encourage your students to ask you questions they might normally find awkward, like “Why do you smoke, if you know it’s bad for you?” Or, “If you smoke, why aren’t you sick?”

• Let your students know you want to help them avoid a mistake you’ve made.

• That said, please don’t smoke in front of your students. On or off school property, you continue to be a powerful role model for them .

• If you quit smoking, share the experience with them so they can appreciate your reasons and know firsthand how difficult quitting is .


Grade 8 OverviewGrade 8 Overview

Grade 8 goalsBack Off Tobacco is a learning resource that supports the physical education/health education curriculum through a focus on tobacco education and smoking prevention . Living smoke free is part of a broader emphasis on healthy living . Other aspects of healthy living include eating good food and getting active in work and play .

Back Off Tobacco also provides connections to the English language arts specific learning outcomes for each grade level .

Involving others in extending Back Off TobaccoBack Off Tobacco also offers opportunities to involve parents, guardians and the community in the students’ progress especially in the earlier grades, most notably through the extensions to lessons and, in some cases, where students can display their work or use their parents or guardians as resources .


Health education curricular overview for Grade 8• The K to Grade 12 Back Off Tobacco materials follow the Kindergarten to Grade 12 Physical Education/

Health Education Manitoba Curriculum Framework of Outcomes for Active Healthy Lifestyles (PE/HE Framework) .

• Each lesson in Back Off Tobacco lists the applicable supported Specific Learning Outcomes (SLOs) from the PE/HE Framework .

In general, the Grade 8 Back Off Tobacco lessons focus on the SLOs below .

Note to teacher: There are no specific learning outcomes related to substance use and abuse prevention in grade 8 in the Manitoba curriculum . Schools may choose to teach substance use and abuse prevention every year to review, reinforce and maintain the learning outcomes acquired in the previous year .

From General Learning Outcome (GLO) 5: Healthy Lifestyle Practices

Number Strand and Sub-strand Specific Learning Outcome (SLO)

K.5.7.D.1 Knowledge > Substance Use and Abuse Prevention > Helpful and Harmful Substances

Differentiate between the use and abuse (i .e ., prescribed/ unprescribed drugs; own medicine/someone else’s medication, correct/incorrect dosage, addiction) of medicinal and nonmedicinal substances (e .g ., medicines, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, alcohol, tobacco, inhalants, street drugs)

K.5.7.D.2 Knowledge > Substance Use and Abuse Prevention > Effects of Substance Use (Science Connections)

Explain different consequences, related to different variables (i .e ., fair play, legalities, performance, medical, safety, and financial implications), of taking harmful and beneficial drugs or other substances (e .g ., antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, stimulants, narcotics, anabolic steroids, marijuana, diuretics, herbals)

K.5.7.D.3 Knowledge > Substance Use and Abuse Prevention > Factors Affecting Substance Use

Identify the positive and negative social factors (i .e ., influences of peers, families, role models, media, Internet, celebrities, social occasions, parties) that may influence avoidance and/or use of substances (e .g ., tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, street drugs, inhalants)

S.5.7.A.4 Skills > Application of Decision-Making/Problem-Solving Skills > Substance Use and Abuse

Apply decision-making/problem-solving strategies in case scenarios that focus on substance use and abuse (e .g ., over-the-counter drugs, supplements, performance-enhancing drugs, tobacco, alcohol, street drugs, restricted drugs)


From General Learning Outcome (GLO) 4: Personal and Social Management

Number Strand and Sub-strand Specific Learning Outcome (SLO)

K.4.7.B.4 Knowledge > Social Development > Avoidance and Refusal Strategies (Language Arts Connections)

Describe appropriate use (e .g ., saying “no” to negative peer pressure, differentiating between situations where assertiveness is/isn’t warranted) of avoidance/refusal strategies when dealing with potentially dangerous situations and/or stressful social situations

S.4.7.A.2 Skills > Acquisition of Personal and Social Management Skills > Decision-Making/Problem-Solving

Develop criteria (e .g ., cost, values, expectations, long-term benefits) and a rating system for weighing the benefits of the alternatives for making physically active and healthy lifestyle choices in different case scenarios (e .g ., choosing to smoke, gamble, consume alcohol)

S.4.7.A.4 Skills > Acquisition of Personal and Social Management Skills > Conflict Resolution Skills

Apply conflict-resolution strategies (e .g ., role-play responses to conflict situations, participate in peer mediation) to different scenarios (e .g ., engaging with new classmates, moving to a new classroom, saying “no” to negative peer-group influence)


Grade 8 lessons at a glanceLesson Lesson Focus

PE/HE Learning Outcomes Connections

LESSON ONESo What Do You Know?This lesson focuses on the reasons people smoke, the serious consequences of tobacco use, and the benefits of not smoking .

Students: • review why

people smoke .

• realize that most young people do not smoke .

• list the health and social consequences of tobacco use and environmental tobacco smoke .

• list the benefits of not smoking .

K.5.7.D.2 Explain different consequences, related to different variables of taking harmful and beneficial drugs or other substances .

English Language Arts Curricular Connections

1.2.4 Extend Understanding: Reconsider initial understanding in light of new information, and ask clarifying questions; listen to diverse opinions and recognize ambiguity .

3.1.1 Use Personal Knowledge: Determine personal knowledge of a topic to generate possible areas of inquiry or research .

3.2.1 Identify Personal and Peer Knowledge: Access, record and appraise personal and peer knowledge and understanding of a topic to establish an information base for inquiry or research .

3.3.3 Evaluate Information: Set aside personal bias to evaluate the relevance and importance of information collected; address information gaps for particular forms, audiences and purposes .

3.3.4 Develop New Understanding: Incorporate new information with prior knowledge and experiences; adjust inquiry and research strategies to accommodate changing perspectives and availability of pertinent information .


LESSON TWOThe Great Escape Students develop skits encouraging others not to smoke and rehearse saying “no” to using tobacco products .

Students: • develop and

practise different ways to resist tobacco .

• are prepared to say “no” when offered their first cigarette .

S.4.7.A.4 Apply conflict-resolution strategies to different scenarios .

2.3.5 Create Original Texts: Create original texts (such as descriptions, panel discussions, impersonations, collages, timelines, documentary videos, journals or diaries) to communicate and demonstrate understanding of forms and techniques .

4.2.1 Appraise Own and Others’ Work: Share own work in a variety of ways; appraise particular aspects (such as word choice, description, language usage, organization, audience appeal) of own and others’ work and presentations using pre-established criteria .

4.4.1 Share Ideas and Information: Plan and facilitate small-group activities and short, whole-class sessions to share information on a topic using a variety of engaging methods (such as mini-lessons, role-plays, visual aids) .

4.4.2 Effective Oral Communication: Explain, share, and present orally using appropriate conventions of public speaking in a variety of settings (such as small-group and whole-class presentations); use visual aids to enhance the effectiveness of oral presentations .

4.4.3 Attentive Listening and Viewing: Demonstrate critical listening and viewing skills and strategies (such as activating prior knowledge, integrating new information, evaluating the effectiveness of the introduction and conclusion) and show respect for presenter(s) .

Lesson Lesson FocusPE/HE Learning Outcomes Connections



LESSON THREETobacco: Ceremonial Smoke or Deadly Plant This lesson provides students with an awareness and knowledge of traditional Aboriginal uses of tobacco .

Students: • make connections

between traditional uses of tobacco and the spiritual practices of Aboriginal people .

• identify differences between the misuse of tobacco and the traditional use of tobacco among Aboriginal people .

K.4.7.B.4 Describe appropriate use of avoidance/refusal strategies when dealing with potentially dangerous situations and/or stressful social situations .

3.2.1 Identify Personal and Peer Knowledge: Access, record and appraise personal and peer knowledge and understanding of a topic to establish an information base for inquiry or research .

5.1.2 Relate Texts to Culture: Recognize ways in which oral, literary and media texts capture specific elements of a culture or period in history .

5.1.3 Appreciate Diversity: Interpret the choices and motives of individuals encountered in oral, literary and media texts and examine how they relate to self and others; discuss personal participation and responsibility in communities .

5.2.1 Co-operate with Others: Engage in dialogue to understand the feelings and viewpoints of others and contribute to group harmony .

5.2.3 Use Language to Show Respect: Demonstrate respect for other people’s language, history and culture .

Lesson Lesson FocusPE/HE Learning Outcomes Connections



Lesson One

So What Do You Know?General OverviewThis lesson focuses on the reasons people smoke, the serious consequences of tobacco use and the benefits of not smoking .

Lesson FocusStudents will be able to:

• review why people smoke .

• realize that most young people do not smoke .

• list the health and social consequences of tobacco use and environmental tobacco smoke .

• list the benefits of not smoking .

Preparation• Read “Myths” and write the daily myth on

the board .

• Read “To Tell the Truth” and “Reasons .”

• Read “Working with Peers .”

• Copy “Tobacco Facts” for each student .

• Copy several sheets of “Student Smoking Interview” for the interviewers .

• Audio tape-record students responding to the “Student Smoking Interview .” (You can assign this task to a student or group of students to do during recess or lunch time .)

• Copy “Peer-Leader Guidelines” for peer leaders .

• Copy one “People Search” frame for each student .

• Copy “Smokers’ Graph” for each student .

• Find a set of coloured transparency pens .

• Make a “People Search” frame transparency if possible .

• Write the following headings for brainstorming in column form on the board or on chart paper: 1) why people smoke, 2) health and social consequences, 3) consequences of second-hand smoke, 4) benefits of not smoking .

Engaging the Learner1 . Ask students to estimate the percentage

of teenagers in Canada who smoke . Tally their guesses .

2 . Hand out the “Smokers’ Graph” or show it on a transparency .

3 . Discuss any discrepancies between their estimates and the actual statistics . (Most kids will overestimate the percentage of students who smoke because smokers tend to group together and they’re most noticeable .)

Activities1 . Play the audio tape and tell students where the

tape was made .

2 . Explain that even though most young people do not smoke, theirs is the age when most students decide whether to smoke or not .

3 . Direct students to the four topics on the board . Have them work in peer-led groups to read the “Tobacco Facts” and generate ideas for the categories .

4 . Have peer leaders share their groups’ ideas, which are then written on the board in the appropriate column . (Point out which consequences are short-term and which are long-term .)

5 . On the “People Search” transparency (or by writing on the board), invite students to suggest questions based on the ideas they’ve listed . Model one first (e .g . “Find someone who knows three reasons why people choose not to use tobacco .”) Refine the questions .

6 . Provide each student with a blank “People Search” interview sheet . Students will refer to the transparency (or the board) for the questions .

7 . Have students interview each other to complete their sheets .


8 . Share the outcomes as a whole group . (e .g . “Who found someone who could give you three reasons for deciding not to smoke? What did they say?”) Use this information to have students identify the harm that tobacco use could do to them .

Review and Cues for the Next Lesson• Students will summarize, and teacher records

their learning on chart pages . This becomes a display item at the Fair .

• Explode the myth .

• Tell students the next lesson will focus on advertising .

• Ask them to think about the advertisements they see . What makes an ad effective?

• Ask them to bring in tobacco ads and video clips for the next lesson .

AssessmentObserve the students in the peer-led groups and conducting the “People Search .” Use your class list to record who has background knowledge on tobacco, who does and does not contribute to the group, and who is task-focused and who is not .

ExtensionsThe first part of this lesson is based on information that the students already know . It could form the first part of a K-W-L (Know – Want to know – Learned) session .

Home/Community Involvement• Students can use the “People Search”

questionnaire to interview students in another classroom, or adults at home or in the community .

• Students can share with their families their brainstormed list of the benefits of not smoking .


Myth for the Day

Write the following headline on the board as the Myth for the day’s lesson . At the end of the class, use the explanatory text to talk with the class about why the statement is often believed, but is not true .

Most kids smoke and no one gets sickNo . If you’re hung up on going along with “the crowd,” remember – the crowd doesn’t smoke . Seventy-nine (79) per cent of Canadian teens aged 15-19 say they have never smoked, three per cent say they have quit for good, and only 18 per cent say they are smokers .

Source: Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey (CTUMS) 2003, as cited in Health Canada, Quit 4 Life online (http://www .quit4life .com/fac_e .asp)

As for getting sick, it takes a while for the really serious diseases to get going . But some effects develop right away . Smoking causes a person’s breath, hair and clothes to smell . The tar stains your fingers and teeth . Since it sticks to the lungs, you’ll find it harder to breathe . You’ll develop a cough, and you’ll start catching more colds or flu .

Eventually you will have a much higher risk for lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease .

And if you hang around with smokers, you should know that second-hand smoke is even more toxic than the smoke they inhale because it hasn’t passed through a cigarette filter . It takes two weeks for nicotine to clear from the air in a room where someone has been smoking .

Lesson One | Teacher Info Sheet

http://www.quit4life.com/fac_e.asp


To Tell the Truth


Here are some consequences of tobacco use that you can share with your students .

Appearance sTinky: the smell of stale tobacco clings to hair

and clothes . The human body actually attracts smoke, like iron filings attracted to a magnet .

wrinklinG: smoking makes you look older alright, but not exactly the way you were hoping . Your face will have deeper wrinkles and will become more grey than that of non-smokers, because your skin is getting less oxygen .

yellOw TeeTh: smoking changes the chemical balance in your mouth, making it easier for plaque to build up, yellowing your teeth .

BaD BreaTh: you’ll have smoker’s breath, often described as “like kissing an ashtray .”

DirTy anD DaMaGinG: stray ashes get into your clothes and sometimes burn holes .

skin cOlOurinG: grey skin, yellow fingers .

Health and Performance piMples, hair lOss: smoking messes up your

immune system so it doesn’t work as well, leaving you open to a bunch of things, some of which cause hair loss, pimples, illness, injuries taking longer to heal, ulcerations in the mouth, and rashes .

lunG ailMenTs: the air sacs in your lungs will be damaged by smoke so you will experience shortness of breath and you could get chronic bronchitis (build-up of pus and mucus, making you cough a lot, sounds really unattractive too), emphysema (making the little air sacs in your lungs swell and burst) and of course, there’s lung cancer . All this means less fitness and stamina .

cOuGhinG: you experience more mucus in your nose and lungs (yuck!) and will find yourself coughing . Smoking also triggers more frequent asthma attacks .

TasTe lOss: smoking produces acids in the stomach and dulls the sense of smell and taste . This means any food you eat won’t taste as good .

illness: because the immune system is messed up, you will get more colds and flus which means less time with friends .

caTaracTs: if you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day, you’re twice as likely to get cataracts . “Cataracts” is an eye disease where the lens becomes covered in a cloudy film that impairs eyesight . It can cause blindness if left untreated . The smoke irritates your eyes and the chemicals that get in your lungs go into your bloodstream and then up to your eyes .

hearinG lOss: smokers can start to lose their hearing earlier than people who don’t smoke, and are more likely to lose their hearing because of loud noises or infections .

skin cancer: you don’t actually get skin cancer from smoking, but because your immune system is weak you’re more likely to die from it .

hearT Disease: smoking makes your heart beat faster and raises blood pressure . You’ve got an increased risk of clogged arteries too .

sTress: smoking causes increased hand tremors, tenses muscles, and speeds then slows the nervous system and brain activity . It even decreases temperature in the fingers and toes . Generally, you will look, feel and be more anxious .

BlOOD clOTs anD sTrOke: for young women who use oral contraceptives, smoking greatly increases the risk of blood clots and stroke .



Money expensive: as addiction takes hold, the smoker

spends more and more money on cigarettes . It can amount to thousands of dollars a year . Think about what you could be buying or doing instead!

Environment TOxic: second-hand smoke is toxic to everyone

who breathes it .

pOlluTiOn: Canadian landfills get 44,000 tonnes of garbage from cigarette packages alone . It takes five years for one cigarette butt to break down naturally .

Trees: one tree burns for every 300 cigarettes made and cigarette factories use some 6 .4 kilometers of paper per hour .

Self-EsteempOwerlessness: many smokers keep smoking

even though they wish they could quit . The result: they feel powerless and disappointed in themselves .

aDDicTive: addiction reduces self-control . A smoker having a “nic-fit” can’t cope with even small amounts of stress and can think about almost nothing except the next cigarette .

excluDeD: smoking is no longer permitted in indoor public places . Smokers have to go outside or huddle by doorways to smoke, isolating them from friends, family and co-workers .

Friends unpOpular: eight out of 10 guys and seven

out of 10 girls say they would not date someone who smokes .

Offensive: smoking offends many people who may be nauseated by the smell .

harMful: smoking harms people . Many people are allergic to the smoke .

Family parenTal DisapprOval: parents may be

disappointed or angry .

influencinG siBlinGs: younger siblings, who look up to you, may be influenced to smoke .

MiscarriaGes: smoking during pregnancy places the unborn baby at risk of miscarriage, still-birth, low birth weight and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) .



reasons for smoking/not smoking

Reasons Students Give for Not Smoking Cigarettes • It can be harmful to my health (46%)

• It’s a filthy habit (32%)

• I don’t like smoke (taste/smell) (32%)

• It costs too much money (9%)

• I’m involved in athletics/fitness (8%)

• I don’t want to get addicted (5%)

• My parents disapprove of smoking (4%)

• Friends/family do/don’t smoke (4%)

Reasons Students Give for Smoking Cigarettes• Out of habit (80%)

• l like to smoke in social situations (78%)

• To relax or reduce stress (76%)

• I’m addicted to nicotine (75%)

• I like it (56%)

• To combat boredom (53%)

• Family/friends are tobacco users (48%)

• To control my weight or stay slim (8%)

Source:

Angus Reid, Smoke Signals: Teen Smoking in B .C . (1997) .

The following data is based on students’ reasons for smoking or not smoking, compiled by research company Angus Reid in British Columbia .


working with peers


Teacher-trained peer group leaders can make a real contribution to the effectiveness of tobacco prevention programs .1 They provide credibility as well as a sense of comfort . Discussions are more candid, more students participate, and the peer leaders serve as role models for their classmates .

1 . Before the first lesson, ask students to select group leaders – people respected by their classmates . Each leader must accept the position . Students who use tobacco can serve as group leaders, since they have valuable experience to contribute . Here are two selection methods:

• Ask the class to nominate six students (three boys and three girls) as group leaders by writing their names on a slip of paper . Collect the nominations and tally them . You should end up with at least one group leader for every four to six students . Extra leaders can be used on days when one of the other leaders is absent .

• Divide the class into groups and let each group choose its own leader . Students can form their own groups by selecting a partner and then joining another pair, to a maximum of six students in each group . Everyone in the group must agree on the choice of leader .

2 . Schedule a 20-minute training session with the group leaders . Copy the “Peer-Leader Guidelines .”

3 . At the session, tell the group leaders that they will be helping you with the tobacco prevention lessons . Explain why this unit is important: the decision of whether or not to use tobacco will have a big effect on the rest of their classmates’ lives . Their job isn’t to convince students that they shouldn’t smoke but to help guide the group discussion and activities, so everyone has a chance to come to their own conclusion . Express your confidence in the group leaders’ ability and your support for their role .

4 . Distribute “Peer-Leader Guidelines .” Go over each point . If time allows, do a “dry run” of a lesson activity .

5 . Plan a brief follow-up meeting after the lesson, to give the group leaders a chance to talk about their experience and discuss problems .

Sources:

Adapted from Smoke-Free for Life, Nova Scotia, 1996 and Improving the Odds, Health Canada, 1995 .1 Tobler, N .S . and Stratton, H .H . (1997) Effectiveness of school-based drug prevention programs: A meta-analysis of the research . The Journal of Primary Prevention, 18(1), 71-128 .


Tobacco facts

Lesson One | Student Handout

• Less dating. Eight out of 10 guys and seven out of 10 girls say they would not date someone who smokes . And no wonder . Smokers produce phlegm more than twice as often as teens who don’t smoke .

• Non-smokers save money. The average teen smoker in Canada spends over $1,000/year on tobacco .

• Wrinkling. Smoking makes you look older alright, but not exactly the way you were hoping . It’ll make your skin dry and leathery . Your skin will wrinkle faster than if you don’t smoke .

• Misinformed. Only five per cent of secondary school students who smoke think they’ll still be smoking in five years . Yet five years later, 75 per cent are heavy smokers .

• Advertising influences kids. Kids are twice as likely to be influenced by cigarette advertising as they are by peer pressure, and are three times more sensitive to tobacco advertising than adults . They said no to tobacco advertising in Norway and it halved the number of children taking up smoking .

• Asthma. Each year, about 52,000 Canadian children get increased severity of asthma due to exposure to second-hand smoke .

• Acne and hair loss. Smoking messes up your immune system so it doesn’t work as well, leaving you open to a bunch of things . If you are developing acne, it will take longer to heal . For some people it causes hair loss and/or ulcerations in the mouth and skin rashes .

• Nicotine is addictive. Experts and addicts claim that cigarette smoking is harder to quit than an addiction to heroin or cocaine .

• Tobacco is toxic. Tobacco and tobacco smoke contain thousands of chemicals that non-smokers would not put in their bodies, like those that are in rat poison, rocket fuel, toilet bowl cleaner and embalming fluid (formaldehyde) .

• Smoking isn’t popular. Ninety-four (94) per cent of 12-14 year olds don’t smoke; 75 per cent of secondary school kids don’t smoke; and 69 per cent of 19-24 year olds don’t smoke .

• Ear infections . Every year, Canadian kids get 220,000 ear infections from second-hand smoke: only 20 per cent of parents know that there is an association between smoke and ear infections .

• Tooth decay. Smoking changes the chemical balance in your mouth, making it easier for plaque to build up and yellowing your teeth .

• It’ll kill you. More than half of teen smokers will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease unless they quit . Tobacco kills 3 times more Manitobans than alcohol, AIDS, illicit drugs, car accidents, suicide and murder, all combined .

• It’s difficult to quit. Teen smokers who were thinking about quitting were unsuccessful nine out of 10 times .

• Starvation. If the land used to grow tobacco was used to grow food instead, we could feed another 10 to 20 million people!

• More toxic. Smoke from the burning tip of a cigarette contains higher concentrations of many cancer-producing chemicals than inhaled smoke does .

• Deadly. For every eight smokers who die of smoking-related illness, one non-smoker dies .



• Lung ailments. You can get chronic bronchitis (build-up of pus and mucus, making you cough a lot, sounds really unattractive), and emphysema (making the little air sacs in your lungs swell and burst) . Of course, there’s lung cancer too .

• Non-smokers are healthier. Smokers have 60 per cent more illnesses than non-smokers . By grade 8 those who don’t smoke are already more active and have better eating habits than their friends who are smoking .

Sources:

Fifty Most Often Asked Questions about Smoking and Health . Canadian Cancer Society, 1995 .

Tobacco: The Facts . Canadian Cancer Society, 1996 .

Where there’s smoke… it’s usually second-hand . Canadian Cancer Society, 1996 .

Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, 2008 .



student smoking interview

Female Student Male Student

Have you ever used any tobacco products (such as cigarettes, spit tobacco)? Yes No

Why did you make that decision?

Are you satisfied with your decision? Yes No

Why/why not?


peer leader Guidelines

Lesson One | Peer Leader Student Handout

• Wait until everyone is ready before you begin .

• Make sure everyone understands the assignment .

• Encourage students to listen to each other without interrupting .

• Help everyone to participate . If someone isn’t saying anything, ask what he/she thinks about the topic .

• Try not to let the discussion stray off track . Ask a question to bring it back to the topic .

• Let the group come to its own conclusions . You can offer your own opinions and ideas, but don’t say too much or feel that you have to come up with all the answers .

• Respect everyone’s opinions, and feelings . Encourage the group to do the same .

Have fun and thanks for helping out.Source

Adapted from Smoke Free for Life, Nova Scotia, 1996 .


people search

Lesson One |

Name:

Find people who can answer the questions . They will give you the answer and sign the correct square . You must find a different person to sign for each question .

Have fun!


smoker’s Graph


Did you know?

Most Canadian youth DON’T smoke.

Smoking is becoming less popular among youth in Canada . The graph compares the percentages from 2007 to the percentages in 1994 for students in grades 5 to 9 . The majority of youth (82 per cent) have never tried smoking . Overall, there are now more ex-smokers than current smokers in Canada .

Statistics Canada maintains a website of the latest statistics on smoking at http://www .hc-sc .gc .ca/hc-ps/pubs/tobac-tabac/index-eng .php

Sources:

Health Canada, Quit 4 Life (2005), p . 4 .

Tobacco Control Programme, Health Canada Supplementary Tables, Youth Smoking Survey 2006-07 .

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Current Former Puffers Never Tried

13%

2%

10%4%

14% 12%

62%

82%

1994 2007

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/pubs/tobac-tabac/index-eng.php


Lesson Two

The Great EscapeGeneral OverviewStudents develop skits encouraging others not to smoke, and rehearse saying “no” to using tobacco products .


• develop and practise different ways to resist tobacco .

• be prepared to say “no” when offered their first cigarette .

Preparation• Read “Myths .” Choose one of them to write on

the board .

• Find the 10 Scenario Cards . (You probably won’t use all the cards in a single lesson, so you have some flexibility in choosing the most appropriate scenarios .)

Engaging the Learner1 . Say, “We all know that, if you want to improve

a skill, you have to practise it many times . Professional athletes use a technique called ‘visualization’ to see themselves, say, scoring a goal or making a successful ski jump . We do the same thing to help us resist the influences that encourage us to smoke . Let’s look at some of those influences .”

2 . Write the influences on the board, such as friends, curiosity, insecurities, tobacco industry, a parent or sibling who smokes, movies, etc . Discuss them as a class .

Activities1 . Have students think of one of the pressures . Tell

them to visualize themselves being assertive and refusing to be influenced by it .

2 . Display the scenario cards . Tell the students that each card deals with one of these influences .

3 . Say, “Today we’re going to develop some short skits to help us practise ways to say ‘no’ to tobacco .”

4 . Develop a set of criteria with the students to evaluate the skits . These might include logical organization, accurate information, relevant and interesting details, effective presentation and audience interest .

5 . Have the students form groups of four or five .

6 . Have one person from each group randomly draw a scenario card . (You may want to have students write their own scenarios .)

7 . Give the group time to assign roles, decide on the dialogue and rehearse . Depending on how much experience your class has had with drama, you may want to list these steps on a chart .

8 . Have the groups perform their skits for the class .

Review and Cues for the Next Lesson• Students will summarize and teacher records

their learning on chart pages .


• Remind students to practise visualizing being strong and refusing to be drawn into the smoking trap .

Assessment• The audience can evaluate each skit by telling

one thing they liked about the performance .

• Use the set of criteria developed by the students prior to working on their skits .

ExtensionsStudents could make additional scenario cards for this or future lessons .

Home/Community InvolvementSuitable skits could be performed or videotaped for other classes in the school or for the Fair . Let your students know their skits will help other young people stay tobacco-free .


Lesson Two | Teacher Info Sheet

Myth for the Day

For this lesson, choose one of these alternatives according to the needs of the students in your class . Write the headline on the board as the Myth for the day’s lesson . At the end of the class, use the explanatory text to talk with the class about why the statement is often believed, but is not true .

Boys are much more likely to smoke in their early teens than girls No . For a long time, smoking was considered a man’s activity . But then the tobacco companies lured women into the habit with role models and slogans that linked smoking to independence, glamour and slimness . In the six years following the campaign for Virginia Slims cigarettes, the number of teenage girls who smoked more than doubled . In 2007, the same percentage (15 per cent) of males and females, 15 to 19 years of age, were smokers .

Tobacco companies in Canada now target their young market through sponsorships as well as advertisements . Player’s cigarettes are associated with sports to reach young male smokers, and Matinée sponsors its own fashion foundation to appeal to women . Other sponsorships to target young people include Export “A” Smooth and Craven “A” which sponsor rock and country music concerts .

Low-tar cigarettes are a safe alternative to regular cigarettes No . Recent research has demonstrated that low-tar cigarettes are just as dangerous as standard cigarettes and might be responsible for an increase in a rare form of lung cancer . Smokers are often deceived into thinking that low tar brands are not as harmful to their health as standard cigarettes (look at some of the ads) . However, it has been demonstrated that smokers compensate for the lower tar and nicotine levels by:

• taking more puffs on each cigarette smoked;

• inhaling more deeply;

• smoking more of the cigarette;

• smoking more cigarettes;

• and blocking the air dilution vent holes on the filter with their lips or finger .

Drawing smoke more deeply into the lungs causes an increase in adeno-carcinomas, a previously rare form of lung cancer affecting the lungs’ tiniest airways .


Cannabis (marijuana) is not as harmful as tobacco No . Marijuana cigarettes are many times more damaging to your lungs than tobacco cigarettes: they yield up to 50 per cent more tar and cancer-causing agents than tobacco cigarettes (when smoked, the chemicals in cannabis produce more than 2,000 cancer-causing agents) . In the short-term, cannabis use causes an immediate increase in heart rate, impaired reasoning and negatively affects memory, decision-making, co-ordination, and mood and perception . With long-term, heavy use, the active chemical in cannabis (THC – delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) can damage brain, lungs and reproductive organs, and is associated with lack of energy and motivation, memory loss, poor judgment, respiratory damage and damage to the immune system, making the user more prone to illness .

Although cannabis experimentation and use is less popular than tobacco for young people, in recent years we have seen a trend toward lower perceived risk and lower social disapproval . Remember, in addition to the health costs described above, cannabis is an illegal drug and possession is a federal crime . It will not be “overlooked” by schools or the police .

Smoking helps you to stay slim No . Smoking will not make you thinner .

It’s true . Nicotine is a mild appetite suppressant, so some people temporarily gain weight (about a kilogram or so) when they quit smoking .

But the health risks of smoking outweigh any benefit . Regular smoking is as stressful on the body as being more than 75 pounds overweight . The best way to lose weight is moderate, regular exercise and good nutrition . This will help you look better, feel better and function better .


Lesson Two | Student Handout

Ten scenario cards

Print out the scenario cards on the next few pages for use in the student groups . Students can also create their own scenarios based on the cards .


Card #1Your best friend has started smoking and you are worried about his/her health . But you don’t know what to say to persuade your friend to quit . A relative of yours has just been diagnosed with lung cancer . You wonder if it will help if this relative comes to the classroom to talk about smoking . Should you ask your teacher about this possibility?

What are your plans?

What is the outcome?

Card #2Your friend has her brother buy a package of cigarettes for her . She hasn’t smoked before but wants to look cool when she goes out with her older friends . She offers you a cigarette because she doesn’t want to try smoking alone .

What will you decide to do?


Card #3You have made a personal decision not to smoke . You don’t have a lot of money and you want to save up for new inline skates . Your friends smoke all the time and they want you to kick in money for cigarettes . At first you refuse, but they call you cheap and they keep nagging you for money . You feel really bad .

What will you say? How can you get them to stop nagging?

Card #4Most of the people in your family smoke so you have easy access to cigarettes . Your friends are pressuring you to steal a few for them .

What will you say? What will you do?


Card #5You’re tired of being told by your parents that you are too young to stay out late, go to the mall with friends or just hang out after school . They’re always asking you where you are going and who you’ll be with .

You feel angry and frustrated and think you are the only one with “problem parents .” You can’t wait to get away from home and you’re thinking of smoking just to prove you have a life .

How will you handle your feelings?

What can you say to your parents so they will give you more space?

Card #6You’re a 13-year-old girl . You really like this boy who is several years older than you . You want to get his attention but you’re pretty sure he thinks you’re just a kid . You notice that he smokes and wonder if he’d think you were older if he saw you smoking too . You go and talk to a good friend of yours to get her opinion .

What will you say? What is the outcome?

What will your friend tell you? What will you decide to do? Will smoking make you look older?


Card #7You’re a 13-year-old girl and feel you are getting a bit too heavy . Your friends say you look fine but you don’t believe them . Some of your friends say smoking reduces your appetite (makes you want to eat less) . You discuss it with a group of friends . Some say it helps, others say they don’t believe it works at all . They know a lot of overweight people who smoke .

What do you think? Who is right?

What will you decide?

Card #8You’re at a party and feeling a little nervous because you don’t know many people there . Some people are smoking . Someone comes over to talk and introduces you to the smoking crowd . You’re offered a cigarette but you haven’t smoked before and are not sure if you will look silly . You look around and notice that there is another group of people who are just talking, laughing and not smoking .

What will you do?


Card #9You have just graduated and notice an ad in the paper for a part-time secretarial job with a tobacco company . You don’t smoke but the money they are offering is much better than any other jobs you have seen advertised lately .

You ace the interview and they offer you the job . Just before you leave the office the manager gives you a package of their cigarettes and says, “Cigarettes are on the house .” You say you don’t smoke . The manager frowns and says that makes a difference . They expect their employees to be good representatives for the company and this is the best way to do it .

What do you say? What will you do?

Card #10You’ve been smoking behind your parents’ backs – not a lot, not yet . Your mom has just found a pack of cigarettes in your jeans . She wasn’t snooping; she found what was left of them when she put the laundry in the dryer . She hands you the wet package . You say they aren’t yours; they belong to a friend . Your younger brother and sister begin to tell on you . You’ve just been caught in a lie and don’t like the feeling . Your mom looks disappointed .

What will you say to her? How do you feel about the example you are setting for your siblings? You don’t want to get grounded because there’s a movie you want to go and see on the weekend. How will you manage that?


Lesson Three

Tobacco: Ceremonial Smoke or Deadly PlantGeneral OverviewThis lesson provides students with an awareness and knowledge of traditional Aboriginal uses of tobacco .


• make connections between traditional uses of tobacco and the spiritual practices of Aboriginal people .

• identify differences between the misuse of tobacco and the traditional use of tobacco among Aboriginal people .

Preparation• Read “Myths .”

• Copy “K-W-L Activity Sheet” for each student .

• Copy “Tobacco: Ceremonial Smoke or Deadly Plant?” for each student .

• Find supplies for poster-making .

Engaging the Learner1 . Have students divide into pairs .

2 . Distribute a “K-W-L Activity Sheet” to each pair .

3 . Ask students to list everything they know or have heard about the traditional Aboriginal use of tobacco, as well as what they want to know .

4 . Once they’ve finished, have the class construct a group list on the board .

5 . Flag any item that students question and return to it at the end of the lesson .

Activities1 . Distribute “Tobacco: Ceremonial Smoke

or Deadly Plant?” Have the pairs read the information and record what they have learned on their K-W-L charts .

2 . Complete the group chart on the board .

3 . Discuss how and why traditional Aboriginal use of tobacco differs from the tobacco misuse of today .

4 . Using the information from the lesson, have students design a locker poster .

Review and Cues for the Next Lesson• Students will summarize and teacher records

their learning on “Know – Want to Know – Learned Activity Sheets .”

• Tell the students that they will be using a short evaluation sheet to review their participation in this unit and provide feedback on how it has helped them .


AssessmentUse the following criteria to assess students’ work:

• Do the images convey the theme?

• Are images clear and interesting?

• Is the message clear and thought-provoking?

• Does the poster look good?

• Has the student paid attention to detail?

• Do the colours and shapes the student used contribute to the message?

• Are slogans or written messages appropriate?


Extensions• Students can learn more about the Aboriginal

use of tobacco through websites like http://www .gosmokefree .gc .ca

• Some students may research the sacred uses of tobacco in different parts of North and South America .

Home/Community Involvement• Invite an Elder to speak with the students about

traditional uses of tobacco .

• Suggest that students and their families visit a Native Friendship Centre, if one is located nearby .

http://www.gosmokefree.gc.ca


Lesson Three | Teacher Info Sheet

Myth for the Day

Write one of the following headlines on the board as the Myth for the day’s lesson . At the end of the class, use the explanatory text to talk with the class about why the statement is often believed, but is not true .

Spit tobacco is safer and less addictive than smoking cigarettes No . Spit tobacco can cause serious damage to teeth and gums and also cancer in the mouth, and is addictive just like cigarettes . Spit tobacco contains higher concentrations of carcinogens . Two to three “dips” is equal to 10-15 cigarettes . Oral cancers caused by chewing usually go undetected and have a greater chance of spreading to the lymph nodes in the neck, which often make these cancers fatal .

The development and marketing of “starter products” by the tobacco industry, with such features as pouches and cherry flavouring have resulted in spit tobacco going from a product used primarily by older men to one in which young men comprise the largest portion of the market . The following quote demonstrates marketing practices in the U .S .: “Cherry Skoal is for somebody who likes the taste of candy, if you know what I’m saying .” (Former tobacco sales representative, quoted in a 1994 Wall Street Journal article .)

Smoking a cigarette will calm you down No . Smokers often associate smoking with relaxing situations, like hanging out with friends or just being out of the classroom .

But smoking temporarily stimulates the body . One puff is enough to increase your heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension and blood pressure – exactly the opposite of relaxing . This is followed by depression and tiredness, which are really symptoms of withdrawal from an addictive drug .


Lesson Three | Student Handout

k-w-l activity sheet

Know Want to Know Learned


Lesson Three | Student Handout

Tobacco: ceremonial smoke or Deadly plant

From the Assembly of First Nations“As youths, we have all heard that cigarette smoking is dangerous . This may have come as a surprise to many Native people since we believe that tobacco is a sacred medicine . In fact, it has been used by our ancestors for thousands of years .

Traditionally, each Nation had a different way of using tobacco . Some Nations, such as those in B .C ., did not use tobacco at all . Others smoke tobacco from a pipe during certain traditional ceremonies . However, it was generally shared amongst a group of people, who passed the pipe around usually no more than four times . It was only used at special times . Since it was used so rarely, the risks to health were much lower .

Even today, tobacco plays a very important role in Native culture and spirituality . Some Nations believe it to be the first plant sent to us on Turtle Island, by the Creator . Like our ancestors, many Native people will often use tobacco to pray with and to give thanks to the Creator . It is believed that when tobacco is burned as an offering, all six prayers are carried by the smoke directly to the Creator . Many Native people also believe that tobacco provides spiritual strength, discipline, guidance and protection . Thus, it is used to help restore balance .

As a traditional practice, Native people will often offer a gift of tobacco to another Native person such as an Elder in exchange for their guidance and wisdom .

Tobacco leaves were also thrown on fires before attempting communication with the spirit world – the gift of tobacco created a special bond between the person giving and the spirit receiving . It was also common practice to throw tobacco on bodies of water before travel . This gift to the spirit of the river or lake would help ensure the safe passage of travellers .

Unfortunately, the tobacco used by our ancestors is very different from the tobacco that is used today . Through our agricultural practices, the tobacco plant of today is higher in nicotine and contains toxins such as lead, cadmium and arsenic . In addition, we now know that cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals including more than 50 substances that cause cancer .”

For more information on the Assembly of First Nations Tobacco Control Strategy, including a message from Aboriginal youth, see http://www .afn .ca/article .asp?id=1180

http://www.afn.ca/article.asp?id=1180

Documents

Back Off Tobacco · Back Off Tobacco | Tobacco Education for Manitoba Students | Grade 8 | Page 3 Tobacco education can be controversial because students’ relatives or family members