RRHS students help others to quit using tobacco products

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Student council members at Rainy River High School took a proactive approach to helping fellow students stop using tobacco during the week of Jan. 21-25th.
Council President Timo Brielmann said that with the help of the Rainy River Northwestern Health Unit and a $1,000 grant from Smoke Free Ontario, they raised awareness about the problems associated with tobacco uses.
While smoking cigarettes has been the traditional focus for National Non-Smoking Week, and they did talk about that, they also raised the spectre of smokeless or chewing tobacco products.
Fellow student council member Kaylie Lundgren said that thereare quite a few students that use smokeless tobacco at the school. With that in mind student council set up a display near the office at the school. “It was called Mr. Gross Mouth,” said Brielmann. It featured posters of the effects of chewing and offered quit kits to anyone interested. The kits had information on how to quit and free gum to chew while quitting. Brielmann said there is also a toll free help line for support. The number is 1-877-513-5333.
The week kicked off with a student assembly at which the entire student body watched a video on the effects of tobacco. On Tuesday they placed 12 targets on students to show that tobacco companies target young people with advertising trying to get them hooked on their products early on.
The week wrapped up with a free evening of bowling. However, all those who participated in the event had to be tobacco free for the entire day. Both Brielmann and Lundgren were pleased with the turnout of 27 and the efforts made by users to be tobacco free that day. “It shows you can have fun without tobacco,” said Lundgren.
While both Lundgren and Brielmann are graduating from RRHS this spring, they are planning to leave ideas and records of their efforts from the past two years for student council to learn from and continue working on reducing tobacco use in the school.