Irish Cancer Society Awards 12 Youth Groups across Ireland €50,000 in funding as part of its X-HALE Youth Awards Scheme

Funding provided to local youth groups to take on the issue of tobacco use in their communities

The Irish Cancer Society has awarded 12 youth groups from around the country grants totalling €50,000 as part of the X-HALE Youth Awards. Now in its second year, this initiative by the Society aims to encourage young people to take on the issue of smoking in their own communities. The awards were made yesterday, Sunday, February 26th 2012 at a ceremony in the Irish Cancer Society’s head office.

This funding will enable the youth groups to design and implement their own anti-smoking activities. Great ideas were submitted by the young people involved, focused on changing attitudes to smoking amongst their peers and in their communities and twelve projects were chosen for award. They will deliver key smoking awareness messages through film, music, art, photography and other creative, high impact mediums.

In 2010 the National Tobacco Control Office found that smoking rates were highest among younger adults (18-44 years), with smoking rates at 30% in 25-34 year olds. It found that one in seven 15-17 year olds (14.3%) smoked, with girls in this age group twice as likely to smoke as boys. These high smoking prevalence rates for young people have remained steady since 2008. Pfizer research in 2009 found that people who don’t start smoking before the age of 21 are unlikely to become smokers in later adulthood.

The X-HALE Awards are part of the Irish Cancer Society’s Young People and Smoking Initiative, a programme that aims to de-normalise smoking in communities where smoking is an issue. Applications were invited from over 30 youth groups all over Ireland. The successful applicants all demonstrated unique and innovative ways of tackling the issue of smoking amongst young people in their community.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Irish Cancer Society CEO John McCormack said “Smoking is a huge problem in Irish society, almost one third of the population smoke and one in two smokers will die prematurely as a result. Something needs to be done about smoking. Over three quarters of smokers begin during childhood so it is essential that we reach young people before they start smoking“.

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Picture: Chantelle Usher, Jobstown, Troy Stokes, Jobstown, Emma Forde, Monaghan, Lisa Carroll, Jobstown, Elaine McKernan, Monaghan and  Daniel Mullally, Kilkenny

“With this programme the Irish Cancer Society wants to reduce the number of young people smoking, discourage young people from starting to smoke in the first place and support young smokers who want to quit. We believe that encouraging young people to do something positive to address smoking in their own communities will help achieve these goals. By challenging young people to think about the health consequences and tackle the smoking culture in their own community, we can reduce smoking prevalence in Ireland, reduce cancer risk and help sustain healthy communities.” John continued.

Each of the youth groups will present their projects as part of a national showcase event in Croke Park in October. They will also hold local events in their own communities and will receive training and support from the Irish Cancer Society throughout the duration of their project.