YELLOWKNIFE - Crystal Navratil wants to keep youth active and smoke-free with a new activity that resembles the TV program The Amazing Race.

Navratil said the event will have youth from the high school participating in activities all over town.

From left, Hayley Rodgers, Crystal Navratil, Courtney Bilodeau and Kyle Bilodeau are preparing for an anti-smoking "amazing race." The event will have teams competing in a scavenger hunt-style race that focuses on anti-smoking practices. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

"The route is long and there are many things for the youth to do that is associated with the anti-smoking message," said Navratil.

Planning for the event started earlier this year.

"We have about 15 businesses and organizations who are participating," she said.

"Each team will get prizes, with the winners of the race getting the first prize," she said.

One of the stops is the Mackenzie Hotel. Navratil said she is using the hotel room to illustrate the lingering effects of second-hand smoke.

"There will be little paper clouds of smoke in the room, the team has to correctly count each one," explained Navratil.

"If they get the number wrong, they need to go back up and count again."

Navratil said the event could not have happened without the participation of the various organizations in town.

"Keeping the youth informed about tobacco is important in this region," said Navratil.

"We in the Territories have the highest smoking rates in the country."

She said the idea came from a conference in Yellowknife.

"I brought some kids down to a conference about anti-smoking and they caught on well," she said.

The conference was subsidized, but one of the requirements asked of the participants was that they spread the message in their home communities.

"We were allowed to apply for $3,000 to hold the event," said Navratil.

"We already did one project, which was the anti-smoking movie night last month."

Navratil said she is involved in the cause because she is concerned that youth are being targeted by tobacco companies.

"It's important to inform the youth because they are always being targeted," she said.

"The more kids smoke, the more money goes to tobacco."

The event starts on Friday, March 30.