Every 11 minutes, a Canadian dies from tobacco use. Every 10 minutes, two Canadian teenagers start smoking cigarettes; one of them will lose her life because of it. Yearly, more than a thousand Canadians who never even smoked die - from exposure to tobacco smoke. Thousands more are diagnosed with illnesses related to tobacco use. Year in and year out, more than 45,000 Canadians perish - because of tobacco. That's more than five times the number of Canadians who die from traffic injuries, alcohol abuse, murder and suicide combined. And yet ... tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of premature death and disease in Canada.

Canada has made more progress in tobacco control in recent years than have most other countries in the world. Few countries have seen such a dramatic decline in consumption. Few countries in the world today have launched such a comprehensive drive towards a reduction in smoking prevalence. The Tobacco Free Environment Policy for the Western School District is one step to support a safe school climate for all students, staff, and visitors and help protect students from future addiction and health problems.