ASH Australia: 
information for educators/teachers

 
   

ASH has compiled the following resources for educators and teachers on current tobacco control initiatives, harmful effects of smoking and passive smoking on youth, and useful learning tools.

 

HEALTH EFFECTS OF SMOKING
See brief summary (2007) from The Cancer Council NSW - and note that the evidence is growing all the time!  


ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS

How smoking can change your face
Good  interactive photo-graphic game  where you can use a photo on the site or upload your own pic and then modify it the way smoking can.

Try our ASH crossword no.2    
Here's a fun and informative way of getting familiar with tobacco issues, with our website, and with some other relevant sites. A useful educational tool! 
Or try an earlier ASH crossword

The Critics' Choice (NSW only)
Competition with prizes, for NSW secondary or primary schools, involving assessing anti-smoking ads and other creative tasks. From the NSW Dept of Education and Training.

Smoking in movies
Great new site from The Cancer Council NSW - very youth-friendly, features young pro surfer Beau Mitchell. Lots of info, links, "Dob Squad" activity and a competition. Check it! 

 

SCHOOLKIDS, SMOKING AND PASSIVE SMOKING

Smoking Behaviours of Australian Secondary Students 2005
Latest survey by National Drug Strategy, showing there are still more than 140,000 school students smoking weekly - and almost a quarter are getting it from retail.  
 

Smoke Free Zone
Updated website from the ETS & Children Project - dangers of passive smoke to children and what can be done. From ETS & Children Taskforce (NSW Health, SIDS, Asthma, Heart, Cancer). Includes resources.

Kids from smoky homes more likely to miss school
Behind those chronic respiratory-related absences there may be a smoky home environment.

Clear the air for better learning
2002 research shows passive smoke, even a small amount, shaves points off kids' IQ.

Kids need more protection from tobacco
Surge in smoking by pre-teen girls needs to be countered by stronger measures. See our November 2004 media release, with links to the NSW Health / Cancer Council survey.

 

THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY AND KIDS

Tobacco giant's resource for schools (not!)
Warning: Don't be fooled by a school resource on smoking commissioned by the world's largest tobacco company.

Can the tobacco industry be trusted?
Hasn't the tobacco industry in Australia changed and told us they don't want kids to smoke anymore? After all, doesn't tobacco giant Philip Morris (now "Altria") own yummy healthy Vegemite? Check out the awful truth. 

 

OTHER RESOURCES

Protecting children from tobacco - video and factsheets
ASH 6min video and factsheets (2006) on retail display of tobacco - how it encourages children to smoke, and why health groups want it out of sight. 

View our Slideshows
See especially Tobacco in Australia (a good general introduction to the issues) and Behind the Smokescreen (on movie smoking and effect on kids).

Ghetto Science on smoking
Check this 3 minute  YouTube video  shot in Sydney in which a young American conducts a simple but powerful experiment. Good how it doesn't talk down to you - though it's a bit thoughtless how he flicks the cigarette away.

OxyGen
A site created and funded by the South Australian Smoking and Health Project, Smarter than Smoking Project (WA) and Quit Victoria to promote and encourage healthy lifestyle choices and provide information on the impact of tobacco.
 

Cancer Council NSW
The Cancer Council's resources for teachers include: 

  • Tobacco and the environment (suitable for secondary school)
  • Facts about passive smoking
  • Benefits of quitting
  • Tobacco and the law
  • Smoking statistics
  • What's in cigarettes?

These materials are free of charge and available on the Cancer Council website.
Other Cancer Council curriculum material includes:

  • Reeling Them In. An information sheet on the depiction of smoking in films.
  • Smoking and Tobacco Related Issues. Reference material for teachers - Assignment material (senior high school students)
  • "Hey Butthead You Smoke You Lose" poster.
  • International No Smoking stickers (5, 10 and 20cm)
  • "Please don't smoke" sticker
  • "Thank You for Not Smoking" sticker
  • "Smoke Free Zone" sticker
  • "We Run on Clean Air" sticker
  • 25 Ways to Quit Smoking (5 min video)
  • My Last (Last) Cigarette (27 min video)
  • Cross My Heart (24 min video)
  • Don't Get Sucked In - Tobacco and the Media. A smoking awareness kit for teachers (19 minutes)

To order resources, obtain an order form from the website.

Fill in the order form and return it via email to: schoolsprogram@nswcc.org.au or by mail to:
The Schools Program
PO Box 572
KINGS CROSS NSW 1340 or 
fax the form to 02 9326 9328

To borrow videos from the Cancer Council complete the video loan form available from www.cancercouncil.com.au and email it to:
library@nswcc.org.au or send the form by mail to:
PO Box 572
KINGS CROSS NSW 1340

Health Edco anti-smoking products
US-based company has some catchy books, displays, puppets, models and other stuff available for purchase - could be useful; for teaching truths about tobacco. Go to the site and search under keyword "tobacco".

Smoke Screeners
From the US National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, this is a well-produced and lively educational program allowing students to recognise and evaluate media messages in TV and films about smoking. Includes videos, activities and more.

Tobacco Control Resource Centre
British/European site has links to many useful sites worldwide with much youth-friendly info, advice, games, cartoons and more.  

Tobacco Information and Prevention Source
United States Centres for Disease Control site with general information about tobacco, current news and events, research, data and reports categorised by topic, new tobacco-related citations and educational materials.

TOBACCOpedia
Online tobacco encyclopedia, developed by the International Union Against Cancer and the University of Sydney.

Why smokers are victims
Do some of your students think smoking is cool and nonconformist? This might help them to think again. An edgy little niche campaign targeted at street media and aiming to challenge youth. What's your reaction? Let us know at staffords@ashaust.org.au 

Satire:  Licensed to Kill
For a satirical approach, have a look at this new "cigarette company", launched online in the US, to draw attention to government collusion in the formation and operation of tobacco companies, and to the nature of the industry behind the global epidemic of tobacco-related death and disease. The "brand" is the brainchild of Essential Action, a corporate responsibility groups based in Washington DC. 




 
 

Page last updated on 20/11/08