Tobacco Free Sports and Recreation Grants Avialable in Chatham-Kent
Cigarette - Photo by Hans Kim
Once again South West Ontario community sport and recreation organizations, including Chatham-Kent, have the opportunity to apply for funding to support their organization being tobacco free. These grants are to be used for the development, implementation and support of new or existing tobacco free policies. The allocation of grants ranging from $250.00 to $1,500.00 will take into consideration the policy’s quality, impact, reach, outcome and sustainability.
In response to a global appeal for action in 2002, the theme for the World Health Organization’s annual World No Tobacco Day was “Tobacco Free Sports – Play it Clean”. The World Health Organization and partner organizations have since launched a campaign to clean sports of all forms of tobacco – tobacco product use, exposure to second-hand smoke and tobacco advertising. In Ontario nearly 13,000 people die annually due to tobacco use; it is the leading cause of preventable disease and death.
Creating and sustaining tobacco free environments helps prevent youth from starting to use these products, protects the public from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supports people who are trying to quit. This means that athletes, coaches and spectators refrain from using any form of tobacco product while at their sporting events.
Across Ontario sport and recreation organizations have been implementing tobacco free policies. To view the growing list of organizations including your local teams and for information on policy development and implementation visit www.playlivebetobaccofree.ca and see how building healthy environments encourage and support our youth as they make healthy lifestyle choices.
“We used some of our grant money to put the Play Live Be Tobacco Free logo on t-shirts, making our decision to be tobacco free visible. This created some discussion and the opportunity to educate parents and spectators. Some players have even enforced our policy by advising tobacco users they cannot use tobacco at or near our events,” Selwyn Jordan, Chatham-Kent Cougars Football.
The Chatham-Kent Cougars Football Club recognizes that tobacco industry products have no place in or alongside the healthy, safe activities that sports and recreation programs provide. Tobacco-Free Sports and Recreation programs create safe and healthy environments for our youth by:
- Preventing youth from starting to use tobacco industry products
- Giving everyone a chance to perform at their best
- Protecting people from second-hand smoke
- Helping people trying to quit
The Chatham-Kent Cougars Football Club will enforce that families involved in our club will refrain from using all forms of tobacco industry products including cigarettes, chew, and other smokeless tobacco.
Grant applications are available now. The deadline for applications is September 30, 2011. To obtain an application contact Michelle Bogaert, Smoke-Free Ontario Coordinator at Chatham-Kent Public Health 519-352-7270 ext 2442 or at michelle.bogaert@chatham-kent.ca or visit www.ckphu.com