The Sudbury District Health Unit would like everyone to take part in  the 5^th Annual Brown Ribbon Campaign, in conjunction with National Non-Smoking week which is held during the third week every January. This year thousands of Canadians will undertake various projects to promote and support the effort to make Canada smoke-free. The main focus of this year’s campaign is promoting smoke-free spaces and workplaces.

Workplaces are being provided with brown ribbons on information cards. Staffs are being encouraged to wear these ribbons to support the campaign. Ribbons will also be available at local pharmacies.

Each year tobacco kills about 12,000 Ontarians. That is the equivalent of losing one out of every two people living in Valley East. Only 60% of people aged 12 and over live in smoke-free homes and second-hand smoke alone kills more than 4,000 non-smokers in Canada each year.

“This community awareness campaign sends a strong message to everyone that more public places and workplaces need to be smoke-free,” stated the Health Promotion Division of the Sudbury & District Health Unit. “Tobacco has touched numerous lives through addiction, illness, allergies and even death. Second-hand smoke is a danger to everyone’s health. Together we can create a healthier environment for our future generations.”

Other facts released by the Health Unit included:

1. Children exposed to second-hand smoke get more colds, ear infections and allergies. They are at much greater risk of developing bronchitis and asthma.

2.  In just one hour in a smoky room you breathe in as much cancer-causing compound as you would get by smoking 35 cigarettes.

3.  More than 55% of non-smokers regularly inhale second-hand smoke in the workplace or the home.

4.  A non-smoking mother produces more breastmilk for her baby.

5.  Tobacco smoke in a car is three times more poisonous than a smoky bar at midnight.