Grants promote tobacco-free activities

A provincewide movement to promote a tobacco-free culture is gaining momentum in York Region.
Helping fuel the movement is a new grant program. Non-profit sport and recreation clubs, leagues, teams and organizations can apply for grants up to $2,000 if they submit a plan to develop, implement or enhance and promote a tobacco-free policy. The application deadline is Sept. 15.
Administered by the York Region Community and Health Services with provincial funding, the money can be used for educational and promotional activities to help increase the awareness of tobacco-free sport and recreation.
It means everyone taking part in a sport or recreational activity doesn’t use tobacco products and participants, spectators, coaches and leaders don’t smoke, snuff, dip or chew tobacco while participating in the organization’s activities, York Region public health nurse Samiha Versi said.
The policy can be flexible and plans can be individualized by each group.
“The key is education and awareness,” she said.
The Markham Irish Rugby Club developed a smoke-free policy last year and has since incorporated a smoke-free logo on its rugby shirts.
Board president Pat Hodgins said the club was prompted to develop the initiative as a result of the Play, Live, Be...Tobacco-Free program.
The club’s policy states if young people have not used tobacco products by the age of 18, they most likely will never start.
The prohibition, which includes smokeless tobacco, applies to players, coaches, trainers, managers and game officials during games and other club-sponsored activities.
It’s the club’s view that encouraging a smoke-free environment is a healthy life choice and one that’s particularly beneficial with helping athletes achieve peak performance, Mr. Hodgins said.
The club isn’t alone in going tobacco-free.
The Vaughan-based Ontario Soccer Association recently adopted a similar policy and the York Region Soccer Association is on the cusp of developing its own as well.
A policy is about best practices as opposed to actual enforcement, association executive committee president Russ Turnbull said.
It’s also one of many things to achieving a gold certification for Club Excellence Awards, a provincewide recognition program for clubs that have proven “best practices” and offer a safe, healthy and rewarding environment for all participants.
So far, four of 15 York soccer clubs have received gold and more than half are actively working toward that standard, Mr. Turnbull said.
“It’s about showing respect to everyone at the game, including coaches, players, spectators,” he said. “We are trying to set standards here ... to teach best practices to kids.”
While there’s often resistance to change, Mr. Turnbull said most of the feedback about the policy has been positive.
For the Jr. A Newmarket Hurricanes, none of the players opposed it when the hockey club adopted a tobacco-free policy two seasons ago, head coach Brian Perrin said.
“It’s a pretty good thing,” he said.