We Share The Air: Tobacco-Free Outdoor Spaces

CGO4M

Laura Koelen

INTRODUCTION Grey Bruce is trying to pass a by-law where

outdoor recreational spaces remain tobacco-free Why? Because second-hand smoke IS dangerous! Cigarette butts and cigarette related items are the

number one littered thing on beaches and roads.

Cigarettes are harmful to everyone and everything.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Second-hand smoke IS dangerous! Studies have shown that breast cancer in adolescent

females has remarkably increased if they are exposed to second-hand smoke.

Blood nicotine levels are significantly increased in bar workers who are exposed to second hand smoke

So why should we let people smoke on playgrounds, beaches, soccer fields, etc where children and others are exposed to over 4000 chemicals

KEY PLAYERS Jason Cranny & Jason Weppler

Angela Newman

SDSS Beach Clean-up

Students of CDHS

OBJECTIVES

Locate several places in Grey Bruce / Chesley and where most people smoke. i.e., beaches, high school, parks, soccer fields, etc.

Observe how well cleaned-up the cigarette butts are/ how many are littered in each place.

Provide services available for those who wish to quit smoking.

Propose a new site that might be suitable for tobacco quitting services i.e., at the high school.

Methodology S

au

geen

Sh

ore

line B

each

C

lean

-up

“A

re Y

ou

Tob

acco-F

ree?”

Su

rvey

“B

utt

Hu

nt”

During my “Bunt Hunt”Notes: Heritage Trails & pathways – approximately

250 metres each Smoker’s Pit

- CDHS: asphalt & around the trees- JDSS: front entrance & around the benches

Chesley Pool – not open since summer 2012

Butt Hunt: Soccer Field (Hanover)

- Sign: “No Smoking During Soccer Events” P&H Centre – only place with a cigarette

receptacle CDHS – highest count of cigarette butt litter

(250)

RESULTS Cigarette butt litter was the #1 littered item on

the Saugeen Shoreline beaches.

CDHS has the highest amount of butt litter (250)

There are only 2 services that have addresses, others are helplines, toll free numbers, books, and health care professionals.- Even though there are many other services available, they are not very well known. - The buffer indicates how far away some of these services are from Chesley and Hanover.

75%

11%6%

5%3%

Litter Count Found on Southampton Beach 2011

Cigarette ButtsFood WrappersUtensilsPlasticMedical

65%

23%

9%

2%1%

Litter found on Port Elgin Beach 2011

Cigarette buttsFood WrappersUtensilsPlasticMedical

73%

27%

Saugeen Shoreline Beach Cleanup 2012

Cigarette buttsRecreational eg. Bags, ballons, wrappers, etc.

3315 cigarette butts were collected on the

Saugeen Shores beaches in 2012. That's an in-crease of 25% in one

year.

CDHS

Par

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limbe

r gym

Path

way

/Tra

il of

the

Park

Chesley

Ska

tepa

rk

Herita

ge T

rail

(brid

ge)

Chesley

Poo

l

Chesley

Are

na0

50

100

150

200

250

300

CHESLEY - Number of Cigarette Butts Found Littered

Number of Cigarette Butts Found Lit-tered

Chesley District High School (CDHS) has the highest count of littered cigarette butts in all of Hanover and Chesley. There were over 250 littered cigarette butts by the smoker's pit and the surrounding the trees.Note: The Chesley pool has been closed since the summer of 2013.

JDSS

P&H C

entre

Hanov

er T

rail

Hanov

er S

occe

r Fie

ld

Hanov

er p

ark

path

way

Hanov

er p

ark

Climbe

r/ sli

de

Hanov

er S

kate

park

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

HANOVER - Number of Cigarette Butts Littered

Number of Cigarette Butts Littered

John Diefenbaker Secondary School

(JDSS) has the highest count of littered ci-

garette butts (127) in Hanover , following the pathway that leads to

the Hanover park (106).

So...

CONCLUSION Proposed service at CDHS – talk to BWSDB & GBMHU Tobacco is highly addicting and students need help and the

resources to stop smoking. Everybody needs to be well-educated on the topic of

tobacco, what’s in tobacco (over 4000 toxic chemicals!), and the effects it has on a person and the environment (it’s

a greater problem than we realize).

We could dedicate a specific room at the high school where this information could be held as well as: support sessions, a public health worker or a health care professional who would be available throughout the week and maybe free nicotine replace therapy – such as the patch, gum, lozenges, or the inhaler to help students quit smoking

THE END