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A8- The Ca nadian Champion, Tuesday, June 13, 2006 www karen'rtlwei>f 1>111 L ý ît" te,(,CAAXXUI-daaii u DitI Speaker ý'raps' against danger :s of tobacco Cigarette companies FIGHmn4 THE GO seduce teens, Saysntlk bu hengtveefcs anti -tobacco acûivist By Wilma Blokhujs SPECIAL TO THE CHAMPION hores bang from the ratters, one pait representîng eacb of the 44 people who dce everv day in Ontario from tobacco related clînesses. Bodies aie outlined in the parking lot, walkways and entrante irE the Sheridan Athletic C omplex. Protesi sîgnis against smorking are prsîed everywbere. A moment of silence %vas held tor Heatieci Crowe, the Ottawa wactress who's featured in the Smoke Free Ontario ads. She died May 22 at age 61 from cancer caused by exposure to second-hand smoke over ber 40-y'car career wXrking cn bars and restauratnts. rs was World No Tobacco Day May' 3 1, the first day the Smnoke-Free Ontario Act ban- ncng smokcng in aIl public and enclEsed places took effeci. It was also the day antî-smokcing crusader Samuel Allen of Orlando, Florida, came to 'rap' to some 150 kcds about how 'big tobac- co' seduces teens into smoking ai the tîrsi annual Halton Youth Tobacco Summit held by the Halton Youtb Action Team and the Halton Council on Smoking or Health. Powerful address In a powerful bour-long presentation complete wiîh humour and inîerspersed writh anti-tobacco commercials, Allen said it takes onlv one to two cigarettes to become addicted to nicotine. 'Facb cigarette is carefully engineered to deliver nicotine," he told the youth, most of them dressed in red T-shirts identifying tbemselves as SWAT - Students Workcng Agatnst Tobacco. "A cigarette is not just tobacco rolled in paper,' he continued, stressing it contaîns chemnicals cncluding ammonia to enhance the effect of the nicotine and urea (derived from urine) to boost flavour. "A cigarette iv designed se, that the first bit iv the largest legal amounit of ammonia. After smoking just two cigarettes, theres an 80 per cent chance that you're hooked," continued Allen, "because nicotine gets into the blood stream and it actually changes the way you tbink, A lot of smokers, il' given the choice between eating or smoking, are so addicted tbey say they would rather smoke." Nicotine is 10 limes more addictive than cocaine and byve times more addictive than heroin, he said. -,-------~------ 4 "Il- 1 could take a needie and exiraci ail oAf the nicoctine cn a Package of cigarettes and cnject ci coto to you, you would die,"he 'raid. Allen, 24, bas been on the road, speakcng oui agacnst smoking for eight years. I-is cru- sade began wbile still in bîgb scbool. At age 16, he was chosen by Elorida Govemor Lawton ChoIes t0 attend bcs Youth Tobacco Summit. The brainstorming sessions lied to, the formation of a SWAT tearu at his hcgh school and Trutb, a youth empowerment group figbîing 'big tobacco.' Allen was involved in creatcng Trutb's first anti-smok- ing commercial. The groups campaign reduced smoking among teens by 34 per cent in middle scbool and 19 per cent in higb school durcng its first year, and 54 per cent in middle scbool and 33 per cent in hcgh school during cîs second year. foday, Allen is a consultant and mrtivational speaker. "lin really passionate about wbat 1 do. 1 really hate the tobacco industry and I hope you leave wýith the same passion," Allen satd, chargcng cigarette companies use decepttve and subtie markettng camipaigns to seil their product - everythiccg from using corporate colours on race cars they sponsor to sexy, colorful advertcsing in glossy magaztnes and produet placement in popular movies such as The Titanic, Men in Black and five Rocky movies. "The tobacco industry says, 'We bave to make sure our product is placed on the îîght places,"' saîd Allen of the placement ot ccga- rettes in movies tt) create the allure ot seduc- tion. - COUP e watccit lo vior ctirms oEt Hurricane Katrina. W7\COGECQ Cogeco Cable Channel 14 Programminig Schedukl - Tuesday, June 13 - Monday, June 19, 2006 1IruIy Local 1blevision i Oiem SpanIZiNE Lie r OP Halon R TErui A TEm49p Piq E XR 8 0m-0pn Pluged ln' EXTRA 8 003r, il ETarF PiirgE Fpl EXTRA 8 Q0ar 10 EEFF PiigAXr rn EXTRA AT ro, ATrop pl 1A~ T EX l 2 00pm- E Eni Pge d In EXRAJp 12 200 m 40onMidc 5E Plugged le! EXTRA 4:0ipm -idergît PEcaged In' EXTRA T1 1:ierr OarlingEce Sound of 10 30pm TV loer lc T A T E IF A www.cogeco.ca îîpm ive EPAA EXR arcsade e lmbr 00eedwa 00ri ig ln' TRAT NORTH HALTON STUDIO TAr E0p Aiged EXR R On 40p Parad 'EXTA 13p-:0m PVqdýf XR :0m SosoeL LaurierRare Alz TEE AOP TAXio EFTEAX Couri EXTRA ûm- ingh l dI' XR RACFX 29 2006 7FrAF Pilîli MXih EXTRA n'EXR 500 Laurier AvenueTTAEMXFEErerrETR Miltonr ON L9T 4R3 905-878-9306 embraced in a kiss is suhils' placed inside the Rlame used to lighî a cigarette. "TIhe tohacco i ndustc'y is strategîcally ploting to get yolu tî box' their product, a product that if used exactly as dîrected, as cntended, wîll kill you." The tobacco industry targets youth to replace adîtîts ,,who quit and others who die from smokîng-related illness, said Allen. "About 90 per cent ot aIl smokers sîarted before age 18. We have to target youtb to prevent them fromn starting. Todays teens are tomon'ow's potential smiokers." Allen sacd 'big tobacco' is lcke "a snake shedding its skin" by creatcng the image of being good corporate ccîizens by sponsoring