Repulse Bay (Feb 02/05) - Grade 11 student Denise Malliki is taking her selection to the Minister Youth Action Team on Tobacco (MYATT) seriously at Tusarvik school in Repulse Bay.

Malliki recently completed an impressive project aimed at convincing Repulse youth to stay away from cigarettes.

Grade 11 student Denise Malliki gets a little help with her antismoking project from Grade 6 student Vicky Angontingoar at Tusarvik school in Repulse Bay this past week. - photo courtesy of Leonie Aissaoui

The MYATT ambassador combined her artistic talents with a little help from a health worker to produce an entertaining and informative session on the dangers of cigarette smoking.

Malliki says non-smokers have to keep letting youth know how bad smoking really is for them.

"You have to keep reminding youth smoking can cause cancer, numerous breathing problems and heart attacks," says Malliki.

"But you still hear lots of excuses about why they smoke, like thinking it makes them look cool.

"Some even think they will stay thin or lose weight if they smoke, but the smart ones don't fall for that."

Tusarvik teacher Janey Meredyk says the project was tied into the Weedless Wednesday promotion.

She says Malliki and Jessica Suitinaur were selected to attend a MYATT conference in Iqaluit in late February and be anti-smoking ambassadors in the Repulse school.

The conference will be attended by anti-smoking youth ambassadors from across Nunavut.

The ambassadors were asked to do a project to convey the anti-smoking message in the school and community.

"Denise came up with the idea of drawing the Don't be a Butt Head slogan on a bunch of T-shirts," says Meredyk.

"We drew the image on the T-shirt with pencils and gave one to every Grade 6 student to colour and wear to school for a day."

Visual aid

Meredyk says the health centre's Godeliva Putulik came to the school to help Malliki with her project.

She says Putulik brought along a model to show the differences between a healthy and a diseased lung.

"The kids got to touch the models and ask questions, so that was great.

"Hands-on specimens the students can see and feel tend to add realism to the presentation.

"The models let the kids see what's waiting for smokers a little later in life."