The Access Project: Final Report by Cense

A project by the Youth Voices Research Group Dalla Lana School of Public Health University of Toronto July 2010

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Introduction

Overview

Phase 1: Youth Photography & Film

Phase 2: Youth Unconferences

Phase 3: Adult Consultations

Project Learnings

Overall Recommendations

Acknowledgements

List of Appendices

Appendix 1: Youth Social Media Projects

Appendix 2: Ning Screen Shots

103

Appendix 3: Facebook Screen Shots

109

Appendix 4: Training Manual

111

Appendix 5: Media Release Form

140

Appendix 6: Youth Research Assistant Business Cards

141

Appendix 7: Certificates of Participation

142

Executive Summary The Access Project is a consultative initiative designed to solicit the opinions and experience of youth and health professionals working in tobacco on issues pertaining to the rising availability of low-cost, contraband cigarettes in Ontario communities and of services aimed at helping youth quit smoking once they've started. The rapid-response project sought to develop a knowledge base about these issues that could be used to inform tobacco control policy decisions. The project had three phases: 1) a youth consultation process whereby young people (ages 16 to 24) were trained in social media techniques, provided with video-enabled cameras, and recruited to interview their peers and comment on the twin issues of access to cigarettes and cessation options; 2) interviews with 51 young people in three communities across Ontario and 3) interviews with 21 researchers, practitioners and policy-related tobacco control leaders on the issues. The project was undertaken from February to June 2010 by the Youth Voices Research Group at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto (Dr. Cameron Norman, Principal Investigator) in partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health始s Nicotine Dependence Clinic (Dr. Peter Selby, Head). This report provides a summary of the key findings from the data.

Key Findings From Youth: 1. Youth lack understanding and awareness around many of the issues surrounding 2. 3. 4. 5.

contraband cigarettes; Perception that cigarettes are getting easier to acquire and more plentiful (greater access to cigarettes); Few attractive, accessible and effective smoking cessation options exist beyond 'cold turkey' for most youth; Nicotine Replacement Therapies are misunderstood and not viewed as viable or accessible options for smoking cessation; Youth feel disconnected from current print and electronic anti-smoking campaigns and messages aimed at them; Social / interpersonal networks provide key sources for obtaining cigarettes and supporting cessation efforts.

Key Findings From Adults / Professionals: 6. 7. 8. 9.

Intensify and expand research on smoking cessation options for youth; Develop a comprehensive province-wide, systems-oriented tobacco control strategy; Direct efforts to cut off the supply chain, not at the consumer; Focus educational messages on youth that cuts across settings (e.g., schools and community) and media (social and mainstream media); 10. Create youth-by-youth programming and messaging options to reach young people effectively using their frames of reference. 3

Notes: This report reflects the opinions and perspective of youth and adult participants engaged in the Access Project by the Youth Voices Research Group. To preserve this perspective, the authors have made efforts to not alter the language whenever possible as it is intended to reflect this contribution. Such language or thoughts do not necessarily reflect the perspectives of the Youth Voices Research Group, its consultants or affiliates, or the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport. This project underwent a human subjects ethics review by the University of Toronto Health Sciences ethics panel. All youth participants signed release forms to allow their content to be shared and consent forms to participate. In certain circumstances, the identity of participants in photos were digitally obscured to protect against potential problems related to their smoking behaviour. This was a decision made by the Youth Voices Research Group in consultation with their youth research assistants.

Contact information: For more information about The Access Project please contact, Cameron D. Norman, PhD Principal Investigator, Youth Voices Research Group Assistant Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health University of Toronto 155 College Street, Room 586 Toronto, ON M5T3M7 Canada P: +1.416.978.1242 E: cameron.norman@utoronto.ca W: www.youthvoices.ca

Access to Cigarettes, Access to Treatment: A Youth Engagement Project to Explore the Relationship Between Cigarette Proliferation & Smoking Cessation Ontario始s population health strategy for health promotion on tobacco control (including Smoke Free Ontario) has been highly successful at reducing smoking rates for most age groups across the province. Youth and young adults (ages 16 to 24) however have been more resistant to tobacco control efforts, and thus remain among the most heavy users of tobacco products. For those experiencing some form of mental health concern, the susceptibility to smoking is even higher. While the stimulus to smoke from social pressure and mental health concerns (and perceptions) is great on its own, this is amplified by the proliferation of cheap contraband cigarettes. Due to their affordability and increasing accessibility, cheap contraband cigarettes are becoming a major source of tobacco products for youth and young adults. Smoking at this life stage is especially problematic because the availability of smoking cessation programs and treatment options for youth and young adults are limited. For most youth, there remains a dearth of accessible smoking cessation options designed to meet their needs and that are reflective of their social circumstances, interests and expectations. The Access Project was designed to develop a narrative around tobacco use by youth and young adults from across Ontario. Informed by best practices in youth engagement and community development, the Access Project was executed as a short-term youth consultation, leveraging the expertise, talents, and lived experiences of young people affected by tobacco issues in their local communities. The Project aimed to build a knowledge base using text, still and moving images that could be widely disseminated among their peers, tobacco control professionals, and decision-makers with the goal of providing evidence-based research to inform tobacco-related policy. The focus of the project is on: 1. Access to cheap contraband cigarettes 2. Access to smoking cessation and treatment options 3. The relationship between access to contraband cigarettes and smoking prevalence

The Access Project: An Overview The Project was executed in three phases. The first two phases aimed to meaningfully engage young people as Youth Research Consultants (YRCs) and capture and promote youth voice on tobacco issues at three sites across Ontario while the latter phase sought to capture the perspectives of youth-serving adults. Each phase concluded with a participant evaluation. Phase 1: Youth Photography and Film YRCs captured stories around youth tobacco use and access within their local communities using photography, film, and social media. Media projects were publicly shared through a variety of dissemination channels including Youth Unconferences (Phase 2) and social media outlets such as NING, Flickr and Facebook. Phase 2: Youth Unconferences Youth Unconferences were held at three sites across Ontario. In total, 51 youth gathered to openly discuss their communities始 experiences with cheap contraband cigarettes, and quitting and treatment options. Participants selforganized, defined the agenda and separated into smaller breakout sessions whereby with the assistance of a youth facilitator they identified key themes and recommended honest and innovative action steps. Phase 3: Adult Consultation An adult consultation was held with addictions specialists, mental health professionals, policy makers, law enforcement and community leaders in May 2010. The purpose of the consultation was to stimulate a dialogue on youth tobacco issues using the media projects created in Phase 1 and capture an adult perspective to add as a complementary voice to the Project findings.

Phase 1: Youth Photography and Film In March 2010, young people ages 16 to 24 across Ontario were engaged as YRCs on the Access Project. While 17 youth expressed interest in the Project at initial recruitment, 12 successfully completed their duties as YRCs; 5 youth left the Project due to health issues, lack of sustained interest, or personal matters. In an introductory 2 to 3 hour face-to-face meeting at each site, YRCs were given digital cameras; trained in multimedia storytelling approaches, film and photography editing software, and use of social media technologies; equipped with training resources (Table 1); and asked to capture their experiences, stories and expertise on tobacco issues using blogs, photography and film. YRCs were encouraged to creatively express themselves through their media projects as they saw fit, from the stories they chose to tell to the way they

chose to tell them. An initial 驶sticky note始 exercise with YRCs offered an opportunity for the youth to define and articulate the meaning and relevance of contraband/tobacco treatment issues in their lives, as well as brainstorm Project ideas. For each week of the consultancy, each youth created one media project consisting of a photo or video and a written story describing their visual work. An online portal was created to facilitate secure and moderated uploading of the YRCs media projects. The Access Project team members, including YRCs and Youth Voices Research Group (YVRG) coordinators, were engaged in continuous dialogue both off and online through face-to-face meetings, text messaging and the use of social media tools including Facebook, Skype, and NING - a virtual social network that enabled participants to create personal profiles, blog about their experiences as YRCs, share and gain feedback about their media projects, and engage with YRCs from all sites. NING served as the primary virtual platform wherein consultants were asked to blog or comment 2 to 3 times each week. Table 1: Training Resources for the Youth Research Consultants1

Training Resource

Description

Training Manual

A documented overview of the Project and roles and responsibilities of YRCs, including step-by-step guidelines to completing media projects and blogs, helpful tips and reminders, and tobacco-related resources

Release Forms

Written consent forms to be signed by individuals captured on film for the YRCs media projects

Business Cards

Business cards created for the YRCs to share with community members and generate interest in the Project

Notebook

A small notebook and pen to take field notes and organize ideas and reflections

copy of the resources can be found in the Appendix, excluding the notebook

The Project partnered with community organizations from each project site: Toronto, a major urban centre; a site in Nothern Ontario; and a site in Rural Ontario. Sites were selected based on the need to address youth tobacco issues within the local community, a desire to strengthen partnerships with existing community organizations, and the availability of highly engaged youth leaders who could be deployed within the condenced timeline of Phase 1. The number of YRCs, length of engagement to complete media projects, and type of tools used to communicate with each group differed by location due to Project and site constraints (Table 2). For example, following

the initial YRC training, YVRG coordinators held weekly face-to-face meetings with Toronto YRCs due to geographical accessibility; conversely, only virtual meetings could be held with YRC始s from the other two sites. Table 2: Overview of The Access Project, by site

Site

Number of Youth at Recruitment

Number of Length of YRCs Engagement Completing (number of the Project weeks)

Communication Tools

Rural Ontario

NING, Facebook, text messaging, Skype, email

Northern Ontario

NING, phone calls, email

Toronto

NING, Facebook, text messaging, face-to-face, email

Outcomes Media Projects The YRCs expressed their perspectives and represented a youth voice on tobacco issues using photography, film and written narratives. 67 media projects (56 photographs and 11 videos) were created by YRCs using a wide range of creative storytelling approaches including one-on-one interviews with peers, adults, and friends, self-documentation of the YRCs own smoking behaviors, photography of under-age smokers artistically captured to protect smokers始 identities, and song. All media projects (photographs and screenshots from videos accompanied by narratives) can be viewed in Appendix 1. Table 3: Completed media projects created by YRCs Number of Completed Media Projects Location

Total

Photos

Videos

Rural Ontario

Northern Ontario

Toronto

Total

YVRG enlisted the services of Youth Media Consultants from Regent Park Focus, a youth media arts centre based in Toronto, ON, to produce two short videos focused on contraband and tobacco treatment using the media projects created by the YRCs. The two final 5-minute videos created by Regent Park Focus were showcased at the Youth Unconferences (Phase 2) and positively received by youth audiences, helping to stimulate a lively and focused discussion with participants. The video can be viewed on YouTube: http://youtu.be/IzmWUi2Penw. NING NING served as a central online database for the Access Project. A private social network, NING featured 8 main pages designed to facilitate member engagement by providing virtual spaces for sharing, compiling and organizing content (Table 4; Screenshot examples from NING are available in Appendix 2), including members始 stories and multimedia. Importantly, the platform enabled members to interact and meaningfully engage with one another, irrespective of location. Accordingly, NING leveraged the knowledge and experience of both individuals and the collective team in creating a rich and diverse dialogue around tobacco issues. 24 members joined NING, including 12 YRCs, 4 youth (non-YRCs), 7 YVRG staff, and 1 youth coordinator from Toronto. In total, 64 photos and 18 videos were posted to NING; this included photos and/or videos from YRCs media projects, examples of multimedia pulled from external sources, and original content created by YVRG. Commentary and blogging features on NING facilitated peer-to-peer support and colearning between team members. YVRG staff and YRCs alike used the site as a space to pose questions, ask for team feedback, develop ideas, and share their experiences working on the Project. For instance, YVRG created instructional videos for software support and posted several blogs with examples of multimedia and tips for photography and filmmaking in response to the YRCs questions and concerns. As YRCs blogged about their experiences 驶out in the field始 and reflections and learnings throughout Phase 1, NING became a space where YRCs could offer each other advice, validate one another始s experiences, provide feedback, and collectively problem solve. As the Project progressed, there was an observed increase in overall activity on NING among YRCs and greater interactions and dialogue between YRC members. Table 4: Description of NING Pages Page Main

Description

Page Traffic

The home page for the Access Project NING featuring the most recent activity on the site including the latest blogs, updates, comments, videos and photos posted by members 9

Most frequently visited page as users were automatically directed to the Main page upon login

Invite

An option where any NING members could invite other users to join the website

Invites were sent out by YVRG and YRCs; at least 24 invites were sent out to team members

My Page

Personal profile page for each NING member containing status updates, options to personalize profiles (e.g., profile photo, page colors), and a full account of the user始s activity on NING, organized by type (e.g., blog post, discussion thread, photos, etc.)

Page visits dependent upon personal use by each member

Members Complete catalogue of all NING members

Page visits dependent upon personal use/interest by each member

Photos

Virtual photo gallery where members post, organize and comment on photos

64 photos were posted by members; YRCs frequently visited this page to comment, add and caption photos

Videos

Virtual video gallery where members post, organize and comment on videos

18 videos were posted by members; YRCs frequently visited this page to comment, add and caption videos

Forum

Forum for threaded discussion among members

Discussion was not highly utilized (one post was made)

Blogs

Virtual space where members post and organize their personal blogs and view blogs posted by other members

56 blogs were posted by members

NING was monitored using Google Analytics, a free web analytics program for tracking and reporting website traffic. Between February 26 and March 31, 2010, the total number of pageviews (pages viewed with repeated views of a single page counted; see Figure 1) was 2,984 and the number of unique pageviews (visits during which one or more of the pages were viewed) was 1,945.

Figure 1: Pageviews by NING members between February 26 and March 31, 2010

The most heavily trafficked sites on NING are displayed in Table 5 by page title. Notably, the main, photos and blogs page generated the greatest number of pageviews on the site and high numbers of unique pageviews. Table 5: Top ten pages on NING with the greatest number of Pageviews between February 26 and March 31, 2010

Page Title

Description of Page(s)

Pageviews

Unique Pageviews

Youth Voices Research Group

Main page

520

272

Photos

Photos page

424

176

Blogs

Blogs page

210

Raj

Photos created by Raj (YRC)

172

107

Add a Blog Post

Page to create a new blog post

106

Videos

Videos page

102

My Page

Personal profile pages for NING members

Joe

Photos created by Joe (YRC)

My Photos

Personal photo pages for NING members

Invite

Page to invite new members and landing page for invitees

The Role of Facebook, Skype, Email and Text Messaging Consultations with the YRCs revealed a variety of preferred mediums of communication between YRCs and YVRG for one-on-one support, team meetings, and Project updates including email, Facebook (e.g., direct messaging and a Facebook Group), Skype (e.g., chat and voice-to-voice calling), and cell phone text messaging. Mediums were selected based on the youthʼs ability to access a reliable internet connection and familiarity and frequent use of tools. A screenshot example from the Access Project Facebook Groups are available in Appendix 3. Using a range of mediums to facilitate communications throughout the course of the Project encouraged an ongoing dialogue between team members and aimed to present YRCs with several ways to connect with and receive support from YVRG. Recognizing that face-to-face contact with the YRCs from Rural and Northern Ontario would be limited, it was particularly important to select highly engaged youth leaders within these communities as well as identify a point person for each site who could connect with YVRG on a regular basis. While it was important to create an off- and online network of support for YRCs, their ability to self-organize, make responsible decisions, and ʻthink on their feetʼ was critical to the success of the Project.

Results To acknowledge the dedicated work, talent and participation of the YRCs in the Access Project, each YRC received an honorarium and a personalized ʻCertificate of Participationʼ (see examples in Appendix 7) showcasing images from their media projects. In addition, all completed media projects by YRCs and photo and/or video files belonging to individual YRCs were compiled into a personalized DVD-R and distributed to each youth. Media created for the Access Project were shared through online social networking sites including Facebook and Flickr, and could be freely distributed by the YRCs within their own personal networks and on- or offline spaces. The digital nature of the media projects will enable them to take on an online life, allowing them to be viewed, shared, and mashed-up within the public arena. Furthermore, media and Project findings will be shared directly with youth and youth-serving adult audiences, particularly tobacco control professionals, policy makers, and community leaders, with the intention of influencing future decision making around tobacco issues affecting youth and young adults.

Phase 2: Youth Unconferences Phase II of the Access Project utilized an unconference model to provide 51 young adults from across Ontario with an opportunity to share their experiences and 12

perspectives around the issues of access to cheap and contraband cigarettes and access to smoking cessation and treatment options. Youth unconferences were held on March 26th and 27th in Toronto and Northern Ontario, respectively, where 30 youth had the opportunity to discuss their individual experiences, trade opinions and learn from one another. A third unconference was held as a workshop at the national Town Youth Participation Strategies (T.Y.P.S.) conference on March 19th in Ottawa, ON. During an afternoon session, 21 youths participated in the workshop itself and YVRGĘźs presence at T.Y.P.S. allowed for informal dialogue with over 300 youth from across Ontario. In order to create a safe space for the youth to share their experiences, reflect and connect with one another we implemented four open space technology (OST) principles: 1. An open invitation to all interested parties that details the nature of the meeting 2. All unconference attendees sit in chairs arranged in a circle or semi-circle 3. Following a group discussion, a "bulletin board" of issues and opportunities is posted by participants 4. A "marketplace" with many breakout spaces that participants move freely between, learning and contributing as they "shop" for information and ideas is arranged The approach is most distinctive for its initial lack of an agenda which sets the stage for the meeting's participants to create the agenda for themselves in the first 30 minutes of the event. Following that, and with the support of facilitators, groups self organized into smaller breakout sessions and contributed their individual expertise, learned from one another and allowed for creative ideas to emerge. Participation in the unconferences was mandatory for YRCs and opened up to other youth and young adults ages 16 to 24 living in Ontario. Unconference Itinerary Each unconference adhered to the same schema: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

An introduction of the Project General discussion and group definitions of the two topic areas A viewing of the video compilation created by Regent Park Focus during Phase 1 The â&#x20AC;&#x153;sticky notes exerciseâ&#x20AC;? Smaller, topic-specific breakout sessions A group wrap-up and discussion

Along with their media projects, YRC attendees were also invited to share their learnings and experiences from Phase 1 with other participants.

Unconference Activities Data was collected via two main methods: 1. The sticky notes exercise 2. Notes taken during the breakout sessions The sticky notes exercise consisted of unconference participants receiving several sticky notes and instructions to write down the first and/or most dominant thoughts that came to mind about particular subject matters. After a preliminary consultation with the youth regarding their understandings of “cheap contraband cigarettes” and “smoking cessation and treatment options”, it was decided to rephrase the research topics to: access to cheap and black-market cigarettes and access to quitting options. It should be noted that the terms “black-market” and “natives” were commonly used to describe contraband cigarettes, the latter specifically referring to cigarettes that come from native reserves. While familiar to the youth, the use of this language was addressed by facilitators given the stigmatizing and derogatory connotations of these terms. The two topic areas were written in large bold letters on flip-chart paper and the participants were requested to script several notes per theme prior to placing them under the corresponding heading. This was an extremely successful way of helping individual youth share their respective thoughts with the group at large. After all young people had an opportunity to write down their thoughts and perspectives, a de-brief was conducted by grouping similar ideas together and discussing them with the room. Once everyone had a chance to comment on the ideas that arose, share their expertise and individual stories, the group organized two or three breakout sessions for further discussion. Breakout sessions acted as brainstorming spaces for youth to openly discuss their ideas and opinions. The setup consisted of a flip-chart on one end of a semi-circle of chairs occupied by the participants. There was one facilitator per group who was meant to keep the conversation on topic, keep the discussion flowing, ensure that everyone who wanted to had a chance to speak. To keep the conversation fresh, interesting and relevant to participants, youth were encouraged to move between breakout sessions and contribute to multiple dialogues around the topic areas. Once again the dominant themes were access to cheap and black-market cigarettes and access to quitting options. In both Toronto and the Northern Ontario Unconferences, a youth generated theme entitled healthy lifestyles was also discussed. At the end of each breakout session the youth were asked to work as a group and agree on one “recommendation” and one “question” that, given the opportunity, they would like to share with policy-makers.

Outcomes I. T.Y.P.S. Unconference, Ottawa This unconference was held on March 19th, 2010 at the national Town Youth Participation Strategies conference in Ottawa, which had over 300 youth in attendance. It was one hour long and consisted of 21 participants aged 14 to 23 from across Ontario. Eight of the participants currently smoked, three had quit and the rest had experiences with cigarettes through friends and/or family. Table 6 identifies the themes that youth participants came up with using their language, not that of the facilitators and YVRG. Table 6: T.Y.P.S. Unconference Comments Theme Cheap and Contraband “BlackMarket” Smokes

Sticky Note Exercise

Breakout Session

➡ Many youth access cigarettes from These young people focused their discussion around the peers, friends, older siblings and issue of audience appropriate parents knowledge dissemination. ➡ Some youth access cigarettes They believe that the realities illegally from convenient stores of youth smoking are not ➡ Some youth access cigarettes accurately portrayed in the produced on native reserves media and that what is portrayed does not speak to because they are cheaper ➡ Some youth access cigarettes from their experiences. In their what they consider to be a “gang” or opinion, this leads to ineffective laws preventing organized cigarette “dealers” youth from smoking. Please ➡ Cigarettes are sold illegally, for a note that they choose to profit, on school grounds mention “prevention” along with “cessation”.

Smoking Cessation Options

➡ Support groups are noted numerous times as sources for helping youth quit smoking ➡ Family and peers are also noted – although, not with as much frequency as under the access to cheap and black-market cigarettes section ➡ The idea of admitting that smoking is an addiction and seeking help is referenced ➡ A lack of legal access and cost prohibitions of NRTs (nicotine replacement therapy) to youth are criticized ➡ The patch and nicotine gum are listed as NRTs ➡ Quitting as a negative action with negative repercussions is discussed

Once again the idea of enhancing access to quitting options is evident. The youth also call into questions current marketing techniques used by both anti-smoking groups to prevent youth smoking; and conversely, techniques used by tobacco companies to sell their product. More stringent controls of contraband cigarettes in particular and cigarettes as a whole are called for.

II. Toronto Unconference This unconference was held on March 26th, 2010 in Toronto. It was 1.5 hours long and consisted of 15 participants aged 14-24. Five of the participants currently smoked and the rest had experiences with cigarettes through friends and/or family. Table 7 identifies the themes that youth participants came up with using their language, not that of the facilitators and YVRG.

Table 7: Toronto Unconference Theme Cheap and Contraband “Black-Market” Smokes

Sticky Note Exercise ➡ “Native” cigarettes, or cigarettes that come from native reserves are readily available in Toronto – a belief that these contain “cockroach legs” or “rat feces” was widespread amongst participants ➡ Some youth access cigarettes illegally from convenient stores who do not “card”, or ask for ID ➡ Cigarettes are sold out of the package as “singles” either by corner stores or at school ➡ Parents and friends sometimes provide access to cigarettes ➡ Other possible sources for accessing cigarettes are flea markets [this referred to a specific location] or jail ➡ The notion of smoking as being part of oneʼs identity was discussed

Breakout Session Contraband (often referred to as “black market” or “native” by youth) cigarettes can easily be purchased in convenient stores either through misguided patronage or intimidation on the youthʼs part. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding contraband cigarettes. Such areas as their legality and their makeup are not clearly understood by youth. Due to the latter, contraband cigarettes are deemed more dangerous to oneʼs health. This perceived lower quality product and their cheaper price creates a social stigma around smoking “natives”.

Smoking Cessation Options

➡ The idea of a being legally penalized for smoking is seen as a quitting method ➡ Will power, realizing the health consequences of smoking and understanding when youʼre ready to quit all play a role ➡ NRTs such as the patch and nicotine gum are seen as options. However, they seem inaccessible and cost prohibitive ➡ Electronic cigarettes are mentioned as an innovative NRT ➡ A doctor, Wikihow (www.wikihow.com) and Google are seen as sources for information.

Subsidies of electronic smoking sticks are desired. Fear tactics seen as effective, but their morality is questioned. There seems to be a strong belief that the government makes money from the sale of cigarettes, and therefore may be hesitant to make them illegal. Several theories on how to shut down tobacco companies were tabled. The feeling that young people are not listened to and that youth specific health centers are missing seems pervasive.

III. Northern Ontario Unconference This unconference was held on March 27th, 2010 in Northern Ontario. It was 1.5 hours long and consisted of 15 participants ages 14 to 22. None of the participants actively smoked, two had quit within the last year and the rest had experiences with cigarettes through friends and/or family. Table 8 identifies the themes that youth participants came up with using their language, not that of the facilitators and YVRG.

Table 8: Northern Ontario Unconference

Themes Cheap and Contraband “Black-Market” Smokes

Sticky Note Exercise ➡ Cigarettes are very easy to access ➡ The usual methods of older friend, siblings or parents, as well as, illegally from convenient stores are all mentioned ➡ There are, however, three new terms that arise: runners; car shopping; and butt collecting ➡ Runners refers to individuals who purchase cigarettes for underage smokers for a profit ➡ Car shopping means breaking into cars to steal clearly visible packs of cigarettes ➡ Butt collecting means picking up discarded cigarettes from ash trays or off the ground, and it should be noted that it was perceived with audible disgust by the group

Breakout Session This group focused primarily on how to prevent convenient stores from selling to minor; as well as, enhancing tobacco related education in schools. For the former they suggested implementing a mandatory training program for all tobacco retail sales people. And for the latter, they requested more access to smoking cessation tools via their school counselor.

Smoking Cessation Options

➡ A lot of discussion focused around the types of smoking cessation education currently offered in schools ➡ The impacts of advertising on the smoking habits of youth was also discussed ➡ Several NRTs are suggested with no mention to access or cost prohibition; their overall health implications, however, are discussed and seen as negative ➡ The notion of smoking as being “un-cool” is brought forth ➡ Peer pressure for individuals to stay away from smoking and smokers is more prevalent than for people to smoke ➡ Positive changes in lifestyle are recommended

The young people in this group requested more and better support in trying to quit. They mentioned how the few ads that they see on television do not speak to them - they are “boring”. Doctors and doctorʼs appointments also seem intimidating or inaccessible. People start smoking out of boredom, but then get addicted and find it difficult to stop. Youth noted that they had limited options when it came to finding activities/ hobbies outside of school due to a lack of programs for youth within their local communities and that this would help youth occupy their time in a positive way. Aside from the Youth Centre, organized sports or youth clubs were suggested as alternate activities. The youth seemed quite grim when talking about options for quitting as they had a difficult time determining why they should quit as poor health did not seem like reason enough.

IV. Youth Generated Recommendations and Questions The youth unconferences generated a wealth of data, including key questions and actions steps that can be used to inform and guide the development of tobacco-related initiatives and policy for youth and young adults in Ontario. This information is particularly valuable to youth serving agencies in the field of tobacco and mental health and addiction, policy makers, law enforcement and adult leaders. Participant recommendations are as follows.

Table 9: Youth Recommendations from Unconferences

Recommendation

Description

Change the consciousness raising approaches by reflecting reality (i.e. media) and providing more age appropriate resources for quitting and prevention.

Many youth feel a disconnect with anti-smoking messages they receive at school and from television. They are requesting a more meaningful form of communication that speaks to their respective realities.

Options more seemingly [visible] to youth. Bland packaging.

This recommendation is in reference to over the counter cigarettes packaging. This youth group felt that by having “flashy” packaging tobacco companies were marketing to specific demographics, and that simply making all packaging “bland” would reduce the number of smokers who adhere to advertising.

Youth oriented health center with access to several different health topics (smoking, sex, drugs, etc...)

The youth in this group were seeking a “one stop shop” location for all their health services. A safe space that amalgamates a youth centerʼs openness and accessibility with health services designed specifically for youth.

Treat it openly, promote quitting in schools; Donʼt scare, educate; More on understanding Root Causes

Some youth felt that school counselors should have more anti-smoking and smoking cessation resources to distribute to the students. And that smoking should be talked about openly rather than something dark and seedy. Rather than only focusing on cessation, the youth in this group wanted to understand the “root causes” of smoking and also focus on prevention.

Educate and enforce properly!

The youth in this group were seeking accurate, reliable, and accessible information and education on tobacco that speaks to their own realities, needs and literacy levels. They believe that education needs to coexist in a system where tobacco regulations and laws are recognized and enforced.

Youth also posited several questions for “policy-makers” that express concern for issues around tobacco treatment and contraband, and reflect a desire for youth voice in decision-making process (Table 10).

Table 10: Youth Questions from Unconferences

Question

Description

Laws are ineffective in preventing youth from smoking – what are you going to do to fix this?

Since youth have such prevalent access to both over the counter cigarettes sold illegally and cheap contraband cigarettes, they do not believe that existing smoking prevention laws are effective. But they would like them to be.

Why is tobacco legalized when When discussing other harmful substances, most of the effects are clearly known? which are already illegal, the youth simply wondered, “why not outlaw cigarettes”? Why not support more “alternative” (non-tobacco/ nonnicotine) smokes?  Why not listen to young people more often?

The youth in this group felt slightly more disenfranchised than in other groups. They also supported the idea of promoting “healthier” cigarettes (such as herbal or electronic cigarettes).

Do you know how prevalent the Many youth in this group had undergone particularly issue of smoking is? negative experiences with cigarettes either directly or through their families. They wanted to express a sense of urgency in mitigating tobacco related risks. Why do you allow anyone to smoke so easily? (e.g. 0.25 cent price per cigarette)

The 0.25 cents figure represents the cost of a single cigarette. Youth in this group were asking why, at least in practice, anybody can purchase cigarettes for so cheap.

Why is it harder to quit than to start?

This question was spawned from a conversation on how many young people believe that they can quit whenever they choose to.

What are your future plans in regards to decrease the percentage of smokers in Canada (young and old)?

After reflecting on both the positives and negatives of current smoking policies, the youth wanted to know – what is next?

Results The Unconferences managed to reach 51 youths from across Ontario directly, and over 300 youth indirectly via the T.Y.P.S. conference. This was an amazing opportunity for the YRCs to showcase their works and share their learnings with fellow youths. The ideas 22

generated by bring such committed young people together and creating a safe space for them to think critically, reflect and problem solve around the issues of cheap contraband cigarettes and smoking cessation and treatment options, continues to resound loudly in the youths respective schools, homes and communities. The youth involved with the Access Project expressed a strong commitment to continue their research and implement their learnings in order to foster the change they want to see in their communities. Collaborations with youth focused community organizations across Ontario also served as a learning opportunity to share innovative youth engagement strategies and understandings of the challenges currently facing Ontarioʼs youth.

Phase: 3 Adult Consultations In order to complement the youth voice expressed in phase I and II of the Access Project, nineteen interviews were conducted with key informants (N=21) working in the area of youth tobacco control in June 2010 for phase III. Informants were invited to share an “adult” perspective regarding youth access to contraband cigarettes and smoking cessation options in Ontario. Informants were diverse and representative members of tobacco advocacy groups, public health units and organizations, and academic and research groups. Interviewees were asked a series of open-ended questions, including their recommendations regarding youth tobacco control, and at the end of the interview were asked to view and comment on the Access Project Video compilation. Interviews were audio-recorded, lasted thirty to sixty minutes in length, and conducted face-to-face or over the phone.

Results Informants indicated that smoking cessation was an important issue within the context of youth tobacco control but that quitting was not necessarily a high priority among young people themselves. Quitting ʻcold turkeyʼ and NRTs were identified as common quitting options among youth, with the latter being relatively inaccessible to young people. A comprehensive smoking cessation system was deemed to be lacking in Ontario, with participants highlighting a particular need for best practices and a strong evidence base to inform youth-specific interventions and programming. With the cost of cessation options being comparable or greater than cigarettes themselves (particularly contraband), it was noted that the financial incentives for youth to quit were minimized. Contraband cigarettes were identified as both highly accessible and commonly accessed by youth namely due to its low cost and strong distribution networks via organized crime, Native reserves, tobacco retailers, and interpersonal networks (e.g., family members, friends, strangers, etc.). An understanding of what contraband is, its 23

comparability to ʻregulatedʼ cigarettes, and its contents were identified as key areas for education. Informants noted that youth access to contraband cigarettes is a growing issue but there exists a substantial lack of political will as well as human and financial resources to enforce controls over this industry. Informants expected smoking prevalence to increase among youth due to growing access to contraband cigarettes. Recognizing contraband as a diversionary issue for the tobacco industry, there was an identified need for a series of tobacco control interventions in addition to contraband control.

Recommendations The following are a series of recommendations from key informants regarding youth tobacco control in Ontario: RESEARCH: Conduct research on smoking cessation options for youth • Conduct research in order to create a strong evidence base that will inform best practices in smoking cessation interventions, tools, and programming tailored to youth and young adults. • Understand the role of NRTs as a potentially effective and accessible smoking cessation option for young people. TOBACCO CONTROL SYSTEM: A comprehensive province-wide strategy • Create a comprehensive provincial network that connects key stakeholders in the tobacco system in order to develop and implement a cohesive strategy around tobacco control. • Foster political will within government bodies, enact legislation, and build capacity around a common strategy that will enable Ontarians (including youth) to be able to access information, resources, support, programs, and services related to tobacco. • Create opportunities for tobacco programming, advocacy, and messaging to be driven by youth for youth through meaningful engagement (e.g., Create working youth-adult partnerships whereby youth can shape dialogue and decision-making around tobacco control). • Work with professional associations to ensure that medical professionals (e.g., doctors, dentists, pharmacists) are required to identify and provide young smokers with support for smoking cessation. CUT OFF THE SUPPLY CHAIN: Stop access from the source, not the consumer • Create, implement and enforce policies and programs targeted toward parties providing youth with contraband and/or involved in the manufacture of contraband in order to stop supply chains.

• •

Shut down illegal manufacturers of contraband cigarettes by taking measures that prohibit raw materials to be acquired (e.g., raw leaf tobacco, filters, packaging). Explore legislation that would enable legal measures to be taken against manufacturers of contraband cigarettes.

EDUCATION & PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGNS: Youth-targeted messaging • Public education and health campaigns via social media and mainstream media that disseminates a consistent and coherent message about contraband (e.g., what contraband is, its contents, how it affects health, clear messaging that it is illegal to purchase) in order for youth to make informed decisions about acquiring contraband. Given messaging around access points for contraband, it is important to consider unintended/undesirable consequences of these efforts. • Develop a school-based curriculum that focuses on smoking cessation options for youth implemented by the Ministry of Education. • Implement a tobacco industry denormalization campaign in order to change social norms around tobacco consumption and directly implicate the role of the tobacco industry in youth tobacco use. • Create culturally relevant youth-friendly messaging by youth for youth around available smoking cessation and quitting options targeted to young people taking into consideration youthsʼ access to different cessation options (e.g., Access to medications versus over the counter options)

Project Learnings The Access Project was a novel opportunity to bring together the diverse talents, knowledge, and expertise of YRCs and YVRG to build a knowledge base around tobacco issues in Ontario. Given the unique nature of the Project, namely its condensed timelines and geographical constraints, the process that unfolded presented a number of learning opportunities for the team. Project learnings and recommendations are as follows: Development of Media Projects • The training manual for the Access Project outlined 8 major steps for YRCs to follow in order to complete their media projects. Given the number of steps (e.g., capturing images, editing content, uploading media, blogging, etc.), the process may have come across as complicated or lengthy, potentially reducing the likelihood of YRCs using the manual as a resource for the Project. While longer timelines could have permitted more extensive YRC training and less reliance on the manual itself, a key step for overcoming this challenge was the creation of a clear and concise checklist that could fit into one page and be posted in the YRCs workspace. Weekly reminders of these guidelines and Project duties also helped keep YRCs on task.

• An extensive face-to-face training program could have greatly benefitted YRCs, potentially enabling youth to feel more confident in working independently on their projects, complete their tasks more effectively, and experience fewer challenges along the way. This may have been especially helpful for the younger youth who tended to require more support completing Project tasks (e.g., writing, brainstorming, developing project ideas, etc.). Providing YRCs with the opportunity to practice skills and work through tasks could have improved their learning and understanding of the Project. For instance, creating a “practice” media project as a team could have helped clarify the steps involved in creating the project and identified various approaches for doing so. Time and resources must be made available for training. Alternatively, or in conjunction with a face-to-face program, proper e-mentoring protocols are required if distance communication is the only option. This should include at least an entry and exit face-toface meeting, as well as, a set meeting time, access to proper equipment (e.g. computer, internet connection, video camera, microphone, etc.) and adequate training on how to use this equipment. • YVRG aimed to provide YRCs with guidance throughout the Project, encouraging a high level of flexibility and freedom for the youth to express themselves through their media projects as they saw fit. Given the time constraints of the Project and specific focus on tobacco treatment and contraband, YRCs began to seek more instruction from YVRG with regard to the content they were expected to produce in their media projects. Accordingly, YVRG provided youth with suggestions, ideas, and feedback with an aim to help youth focus their project themes but avoid interfering with the creative process. Balancing the Project objectives with the desire to enable youth to genuinely express their voice was a challenge in the context of a youth consultancy. • Video introduced a number of unique ethical and technological challenges to the Project. (1) Several videos produced by YRCs captured youth on film (both their image and voice) discussing sensitive issues around smoking, identifying themselves as smokers or having some connection to contraband. While YRCs were asked to obtain written consent from all on-film participants, consent was not collected by all YRCs and thus the resulting videos could not be shared publicly by YVRG. The need for written consent was a key step to ensure on-film participants understood the terms of their participation, however, the formality of the process was often perceived as suspicious, complicated or disruptive to the interaction between the filmmaker and participant. (2) Finding appropriate conditions (e.g., quiet environment) for filming was a common challenge for YRCs. Many youth had to find quiet spaces to interview people, taking participants out of their natural setting (e.g., filming on a quiet street corner or in an empty classroom). At other times, background noise in videos led to poor sound quality. Addressing issues around sound could involve using more sophisticated sound equipment (e.g., microphones or high-end video cameras) and additional training in sound and video techniques if time and resources permit. (3) Video files were large and required a strong and reliable internet connection to upload online as well as computers powerful enough to handle video content. As these resources were limited at some sites, creating videos became a complicated, laborious, and/or timely process. Equipping Project sites with appropriate internet access and equipment in advance is 26

essential for filmmaking. • Identifying a lead youth at each Project site was key to organizing and connecting with YRCs. The lead youth were able to help coordinate meetings and seek out appropriate supports for other YRCs on the team, particularly at sites where YVRG staff were not physically accessible. Identifying point persons also offered YVRG an entry point to the YRCs inner circle, opening up opportunities to build trust with the YRCs and allow the youth themselves to take a greater lead in guiding the project. Community Partnerships • Healthy working relationships with community partners were critical to effectively designing, implementing, and evaluating the Access Project. Community partners recruited the youth leaders in a short period of time, provided the space and resources for both Phase 1 and Phase 2, and served as local ʻon the groundʼ support. Having had existing relationships with the youth, partners helped shape the operations of the Project, adapting the process to fit the needs and expectations of both the youth and YVRG. Communications • Ongoing off- and online communication was key to ensuring an open and supportive dialogue among all Project stakeholders including YRCs, YVRG and community partners. Identifying and adopting channels of communication amenable to each stakeholderʼs needs, levels of comfort and literacies, and resource constraints was essential to this process. Moreover, it was necessary to have several communication options available to the team, recognizing that too many could overwhelm members but that too few could stifle meaningful dialogue. • A more trusted working relationship developed between YVRG and YRCs as the Project progressed and team members connected on a continued basis. However, developing a meaningful relationship within the Projectʼs condensed timeline was challenging, particularly given geographical barriers, lack of face-to-face meetings or adequate e-mentoring protocols with all YRCs. As such, communications between YRCs and YVRG were limited to work-related matters, leaving little space for developing both a professional and personal relationship with one another. Finding time to engage with youth in a non-work related context may promote the development of more sociable, personable, and trusting relations with the youth. • While NING served as the central communications platform for the Access Project, Facebook, Skype, email, and text messaging tools were critical for facilitating ongoing dialogue with youth regarding Project operations and updates. It was important for YVRG coordinators to use a number of tools familiar and most accessible to the YRCs for daily and one-on-one interactions. Even though NING was a new tool for most youth, YRCs became familiar with the platform within a short period of time and utilized many of its online features. 27

Acknowledgements • Honoraria for YRCs were intended to recognize the youthʼs hard work on the Project and partly serve as motivation for them to complete their tasks within the Project deadlines. However, despite the honoraria, it was a challenge to motivate the youth to submit their media projects each week and meet on time. While these are common issues in youth-driven initiatives, the apparent lack of motivation may have been rooted in a disinterest in the specific Project themes and objectives, lack of a strong or trustworthy relationship with YVRG due to limited timelines and interaction with YRCs, or the fact that youth had many other ongoing commitments to fulfill (e.g., school, other youth initiatives, etc.). As youth received their honorariums at the end of the Project, it may have been beneficial for YRCs to receive weekly payments for completing their work; this could provide youth with tangible and immediate recognition for completing their tasks. • Business cards were developed for the YRCs in order to acknowledge their role as team members on the Access Project as well as help create a buzz within the local community (see Appendix 6). Moreover, the cards implied a level of legitimacy, respect, and authority to the youth in their role as YRCs. The cards were warmly received by the YRCs as most had never had their own business card before. • Unconference participants who completed an evaluation were also eligible to win an iPod nano. This was done both to increase the number of participants and to extend the Projectʼs aim of helping youth reflect on their personal and communal experiences by using still and moving images. Technology • Equipping YRCs with the skills and technology to create media based projects was essential to the Project. Working in sites with limited resources (e.g., computer software, strong internet connection, etc.) required YVRG to identify user-friendly, lowcost and low-tech software and equipment for YRCs. This also necessitated solutions that were not necessarily compatible with software and equipment already in use by the YVRG team (e.g., using PC software at project sites in contrast to Mac OS X software at YVRG). Where time and resources permit, it would be greatly beneficial to the Project to train youth coordinators at each site to be able to assess, operate and maintain their software and equipment. • Showcasing YRCs work at the unconferences was appreciated by the youth and a way of acknowledging their contributions, talent, and hard work on the Project. Having the proper equipment and setting to showcase their work was essential to the knowledge translation process and in facilitating a greater dialogue with participants.

Recruitment Strategy & T.Y.P.S. Conference • Recruitment for the unconferences was done via community partners, their affiliates, the T.Y.P.S. conference and cold calling numerous youth involved organizations. A flyer and poster for the event was designed by YVRG and disseminated by email and in person to various locations across all three project locations. Youth were encouraged to invite their friends both by word of mouth and using electronic methods such as Facebook and email. Given a longer timeframe and the YRCs growing comfort with using NING, participant numbers would have increased by virtue of the youthʼs selfpromotion to their friends. • Collaborating with T.Y.P.S. and participating in their conference gave the project tremendous exposure and granted YVRG access to over 300 youths from across Ontario. Although, not all conference attendees were able to participate in the ACCESS Project unconference, due to multiple-programs being run at the same time, all had a chance to hear about the topics and informally discuss with their friends. Safety • At the beginning of the Project, YVRG and YRCs agreed to adhering to a set of guiding principles or ground rules to ensure all participants had a safe, fun and valuable experience. These “rules” took the form of a “Statement of Rights” (Page 5, Training Manual), stating that all team members had the right to: Respect; Be Heard; Disagree; Participate; Pass; Support; Start and End on Time; Confidentiality; Safety; and Have Fun! YVRG also worked with the youth and community partners to arrange Project time and space within the local community, recognizing that these spaces were more familiar and accessible to the youth and that the youth held demanding time schedules. Creating a place where everyone could share their perspectives without fear of judgment or ridicule aimed to foster trust amongst the youth and encourage them to discuss the topics as open and honestly as possible, especially considering that contraband and tobacco can be highly sensitive issues.

Overall Recommendations Implement a mandatory training program for tobacco retail sales people: Since a lot of cigarettes are still being sold over the counter by clerks who are either apathetic or simply looking to make a profit, a proper training program reflecting the effects of cigarettes on young people may help discourage this behavior. Begin a dialogue between youth and adult stakeholders within the tobacco community, including tobacco control professionals, policy-makers, community leaders, and tobacco retailers: There appears to be a disconnect between youth and young adults and key adult stakeholders in the tobacco system when it comes to tobacco policy, regulations and laws. Youth expressed a sense of confusion, question, and concern when it came to their understanding of adult-centered decision-making around tobacco and noted that 29

retailers, who were identified as facilitating easier access to cigarettes for under-age smokers, in particular were interested in generating profits over youthsʼ health. Promote the unknown and un-tested contents of contraband cigarettes so as to dissuade young people from smoking: Most youth expressed their distaste towards contraband cigarettes that come from native reserves due to the perceived low quality of their contents. Building on this belief may serve to curb the purchase of such cigarettes by further deprecating them in the eyes of youth. Promote education and awareness to youth regarding the language, definitions, contents and health effects of contraband cigarettes: Youth consistently expressed a lack of understanding as to what “contraband” was and how these cigarettes affected their health and wellbeing when compared to “store-bought” or brand-name cigarettes. Demystifying and de-stigmatizing issues around contraband can enable youth to make more informed and potentially healthier choices for themselves, regarding smoking, quitting, or otherwise. Create more youth friendly media ads: Many youth expressed a distinct disconnect from current print and electronic anti-smoking ads. Having youth assist in the design of such ads and keeping them topical to youth culture may result in their being more effective and less “boring”. Further access of Nicotine Replacement Therapy as a quitting option for youth: Numerous youth noted that they could not access nicotine replacement therapies in their communities. They did, however, show an interest in utilizing such tools as a method of quitting smoking. If proper education and dissemination protocols could be put in place around NRTs – possibly using schools and counselors as spearheads – then youth could use these tools in a healthy manner. Promote education and awareness around tobacco quitting options for youth: Youth identified a number of potential quitting options including “cold turkey”, NRT, and ecigarettes, that were popular or of interest to themselves or their peers. However, identifying the need to quit smoking (e.g., that smoking is problematic) and an understanding the processes, advantages and disadvantages of quit options were lacking among youth. For instance, e-cigarettes are popularized as a quit option among youth but are not regulated as such. Work with existing providers (i.e. Sick Kids Hospital) to merge health-promotion practices with health-care practices: Out of the 51 youth participants in the Access Project only one noted consulting a doctor as a method of quitting smoking. Another group expressed how they felt outright intimidated by the healthcare system. By offering youth friendly services similar to those found at youth centers alongside heath-care services, youth may be more likely to seek out such programs. Connecting youth to healthcare services in addition to normalizing and de-stigmatizing access to treatment options through a health care professional are key to this process.

Acknowledgements Youth Research Consultants The Youth Voices Research Group would like to thank the Youth Research Consultants* for their dedicated work as members of the Access Project: Rural Ontario Ellen Markus Tracy

Northern Ontario Kate Nadia Vinay

Toronto Raj Mark Tallah Ruby Joe Jimar

*Pseudonyms have been used to protect the identity of participants

We would also like to acknowledge youth who made contributions to the Access Project through their support of the Project and attendance at Unconferences.

Community Partners The Access Project would not be possible without the passion, support and enthusiasm of our community partners across Ontario*. A special thanks to Regent Park Focus Youth Media Arts Center for compiling the Access Project Video and participating in Project activities. *The names of our community partners have not been listed here for reasons confidentiality

Project Team We would like to extend our appreciation toward the The Access Project research team members who committed their time, expertise and leadership to this project. The Access Project has been made possible through a grant from the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport.

List of Appendices Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Appendix 5 Appendix 6 Appendix 7

Youth Media Projects Ning Screen Shots Facebook Screen Shots Training Manual Release Form Youth Research Consultant Business Card Certificates of Participation

Appendix 1: Social Media Projects

Rural Ontario

By: Ellen Type: Photo Date: March 2010 Title: Untitled Story: This person has had 3 smokes in the last approx. 10 minutes, they don't mean to but when they become bored the begin to chain smoke. When asked about quitting they said they would try a patch.

By: Ellen Type: Photo Date: Sunday March 7 Title: Untitled Story: This man is smoking a native, he smokes half a bag of these a week he spends approx. 50$ a month on smokes. His family hates the second hand smoke

By: Ellen Type: Photo Date: Tuesday March 9 Title: Untitled Story: This woman is smoking a native. She has 2 children in the room with her. She smokes approx. 6 or 7 a day. She has quit twice but gets stressed and starts again, I asked her if she would start chewing gum instead, she laughed.

By: Ellen Type: Photo Date: Tuesday March 9 Title: Untitled Story: This is my 20 year old brother, he is smoking a native smoke. He smokes about a pack and a half of players a day. I think he should quit. Did you know that not only are there human skin in natives but also rat feces?

By: Ellen Type: Photo Date: March 2010 Title: Untitled Story: This is my mom. she is about to light a smoke, both her and my older brother are smoking in the car with me, even though I am over 16 and it is legal it still bothers me that they smoke with me in the car. I don't want to breathe it in. When I ask them to not they simply roll down the windows. Sometimes I wish they would actually listen.

By: Ellen Type: Photo Date: March 2010 Title: Untitled Story: This is a brand that is smoked by another relative. He buys the tobacco and filters, he roles them himself, but I can't help but wonder what would happen if his daughter happened to see him rolling a smoke? Would she think that is was okay to be around? Would she get into the tobacco itself? It's hard to say.

By: Ellen Type: Photo Date: March 10, 2010 Title: Untitled Story: This is at a relative's house. The woman who lives here has a baby. Even though she smokes outside the smell of the smoke clings to her, even though sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trying to not smoke around the baby, the smell probably still bothers the little girl.

By: Ellen Type: Photo Date: Monday March 10 Title: Untitled Story: This is the side walk at my school. These were thrown on the ground by teens that go to my school. In my opinion this is gross, when I'm walking into school I don't want to see that on the ground. The time I took this was approx. 11:30 am.

By: Ellen Type: Photo Date: Sunday March 9 Title: Untitled Story: These are name brand smokes. A teenager, well age 20 now, bought these. These cost 8â&#x20AC;&#x201C;9 dollars a pack. Kids at school usually charge 1.00$ for these at school.

By: Ellen Type: Photo Date: Sunday March 9 Title: Untitled Story: This is a bag of native/ contraband smokes these are 25$ a bag. At school you could buy them off other teens for anywhere between 50 cents to a dollar fifty, if these people quit then they would be saving their money and their wallets!

By: Ellen Type: Photo Date: March 8, 2010 Title: Untitled Story: It's an ashtray filled with butts from my parents and my older brother. Most teenagers don't realize that their smoking affects everyone around them. Even their parents don't see it. The amount of second hand smoke that you inhale in a day is significant.

By: Ellen Type: Photo Date: March 2010 Title: Untitled Story: Again the butt tray at my house.

By: Markus Type: Photo Date: Saturday March 06 2010 Title: youth smokers in the downtown areas Story: What you see here is two youth smokers between the ages of 14 and 18. I took this picture because not only did I know the teenagers from the high school I am attending but it is a very good example of how youth do not care if pedestrians walking on the street see them smoke no matter how old they are. This picture means a lot to me because I am a smoker as well and I just so happened to smoke with these specific teens at my high school, and because I knew them very well.

By: Markus Type: Photo Date: Monday March 15th 2010. Title: Untitled Story: In this picture you see a lighter and a couple of cigarettes. I took this picture because lighters are needed to light cigarettes and the cigarettes are black market native smokes.

By: Tracy Type: Photo Date: This photo was taken on March 10th at approximately 12:30 am Title: This is a photo of a cigarette that someone is holding. Story: With study and interviews I found the amount of contraband cigarettes has seemed to lessen to the community due to their availability possibly for the time being or permanently. It was mentioned that the cost had been going up when found because they were so hard to find. Contraband cigarettes seemed to be smoked more by ages between 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C;28, when other age groups from 28â&#x20AC;&#x201C;42 would prefer counter banned cigarettes due to expenses. This is not fact by all means, this is just stats that I realized from my own personal interviews.

By: Tracy Type: Photo Date: March 2010 Title: This is a photo of someone blowing out cigarette smoke. Story: I had found a very interesting case in a 36 year old male. He has been a non-religious smoker for 21 years (otherwise known as a social smoker). At 36 years old he had never bought cigarettes in anyways, but would 'borrow' a cigarette or two off of a friend or peer at a social event. He had never quit smoking or considered quitting because he did not smoke religiously. The male claimed the first few attempts at smoking cigarettes were due to peer pressure, but as years came the peer pressure wore off and turned into somewhat of an obligation. This obligation was in fact to smoke cigarettes at social gatherings for the simple reason that he was if not the only, one of the few smokers attending the event. He mentioned other possible factors, such as alcohol. Wanting to do something with his hands because he had been drinking or was intoxicated or as simple as the thought of the tobacco helping the alcohol settle better.

By: Tracy Type: Photo Date: This photo was taken on March 9, 2010 at approximately 8:10 pm Title: This is a photo of someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shadow smoking a cigarette. Story: I began my study by choosing categories starting at the age of 13, but had found that young smokers had started smoking cigarettes anywhere between 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;3 years before this in some cases. When asked if peer pressure was the cause I had discovered that peer pressure had nothing to do with some youth picking up the habit. They explained that it became appealing to the because no one their age smoked. They now realize that picking up that cigarette began a sort of trend. Another youth their age realizing that someone their age was appealed and actually smoking cigarettes it became appealing to me. The peer pressure factor didn't seem to occur until age 14 or 15 in my studies (around the age of high school). Youth that belonged in this category mentioned counter banned cigarettes as well as buying off older students/ peers with spare change or taking from parents without consent. Ages 15â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17 mentioned asking older students/peers to buy them cigarettes with money they had earned from jobs or allowance, counter banned cigarettes were again mentioned.

By: Tracy Type: Photo Date: March 15, 2010 Title: This is a photo of my butt can sitting on my back deck. Story: I found that as I hit the older ages of smokers quitting with the patch or gum was more of an option and more appealing. Younger adults would say more along the line of "I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to quit." They personally enjoyed smoking their cigarettes and were not willing to throw away the habit even if it would better their health. Over the age of approximately 26 I found were more willing to quit not only for bettering their health but for their own personal preference and the option of using the patch or gum occurred more frequently due to the amount of years they had been smoking. They felt as though it would be their best option because they felt they were 'more' addicted due to the fact that they had been smoking longer then say an 18 year-old.

By: Tracy Type: Photo Date: March 15, 2010 Title: This is a photo of A Accord cigarette package with my own personal cigarette burning along side of it. Story: As said in my blogs this week I didn't do much interviewing, mainly observation. Fortunately I did talk to a few people about their habit and how they planned on 'kicking it in the butts'. Most young people under the age of 18 or 19 preferred to quit cold turkey. They said because of their age and the amount of years they had been smoking that quitting cold turkey seemed like the most viable option for them. No one I had spoken to under the age of 20 had ever thought about using the patch or the gum to quit smoking but when mentioned believed that it could quite possible be an option for them.

Northern Ontario

By: Kate Type: Photo Date: March 15 Title: Surprise surprise Story: In this picture I showed an older man smoking. Why you ask? Because it represents the earlier and longer you smoke, the harder it is to quit because your so used to it and your body needs the nicotine. This man here has been smoking since he was 9. And look at him now at the age of 64, still trying to quit! Quote by him: “Think about the things you can do, if you didn’t smoke!”

By: Kate Type: Photo Date: March 10 Title: Surprise surprise Story: Here we have me smoking a cigarette. I don’t even smoke! But to the people that I showed this to, they were like, “what the hell?” and “I thought you didn’t smoke” and “didn’t I tell you to never start?” So as you can tell, it doesn’t really matter what your family says to you or friends, it’s their actions that affect you the most. Who you hang around the most will most likely shape who you are. So the reason I showed me smoking (which I don’t) is to show you how much of a surprise it is when someone who doesn’t hang around people who smoke, smoke and that it is not likely.

By: Kate Type: Video Date: March 3 Title: What? Over the counter? Story: Just a few minutes before the morning bell rang, two boys were standing outside of the high school lighting up a cigarette. Before the camera started to roll, I asked them if it was ok to interview them. Before I explained to them that their names would not be used, they were very hesitant. I quickly asked myself why, and came to the conclusion that they knew they were minors and that if the police seen them and got their names, that they would get in trouble!! After I told them their name would not be used in the video, they were all for it!

By: Kate Type: Video Date: March 4 Title: Risk for the cigg Story: Again, just a few minutes before the bell rang, there was a boy and a girl standing outside and I knew they were perfect to interview!! Why? Because they are both under age and possibly cannot buy their cigarettes over the counter. That is until I found out that not only do they get them over the counter, they get what you call runners, which are people over the legal age to buy that *hit for them.

By: Nadia Type: Photo Date: March 20th, 2010 Title: Why? Story: Most smokers start smoking when they are in their teenagers and are addicted by the time they reach adulthood. After asking various students from all grades at my high school, I portrayed some of the numerous reasons why teenagers think other teenagers smoke. One of the most common reasons that students answered is parental influence; many teenagers starts smoking because their parents smoke. This is represented by the Chinese symbol for family. The clock represents boredom. Many teenagers smoke because they have nothing better to do (especially in small towns or in poorer communities). The happy face represents the “Feel Good Syndrome”. Many smokers smoke because they say it makes them feel good; makes them feel relaxed. The books and the soccer shoe represent stress. Many teenagers use smoking as an outlet for the everyday stress and pressures they face. The mirror is used to portray appearance. A reason that teenagers believe that other teenagers smoke is to look more mature or to look “cool”. Many teenagers smoke as an act of rebellion, to break the rules. The broken ruler represents this reason. The apple signifies controlling weight. On average, smokers weigh seven pounds less than nonsmokers do. This is because smoking reduces a person's appetite and lowers their sense of smell and taste; another reason teenagers start smoking. Teenagers like to experiment and try new things; a major reason why they try smoking for the first time. This is symbolized by the beaker. The drama queen crown represents attention-seeking. Many teenagers smoke as a way to receive attention, whether it be from neglecting parents or classmates. The best friend bracelet is used to portray peer pressure. Many

teenagers start smoking because their friends do, or because they want to be accepted by a certain crowd. The package of cigarettes is used to represent one of the most overlooked reasons teenagers start smoking; availability and access. Teenagers smoke because they can. It is a major factor that contributes to the development of the habit as cigarettes are available almost everywhere and almost anybody can get them using a variety of means. For example: teenagers can buy cigarettes from older students, pay anyone over the age of 18 to buy a pack for them, or steal some from older siblings or parents. These are only some of the reasons why teenagers believe that other teenagers smoke.

By: Nadia Type: Video Date: March 6th 2010 Title: “Part 1: Who?” Story: This is part 1 of my Who, What, Where, Why, How theme. I wanted to find about the people’s opinion on who smokes. I asked would you date a smoker, do a lot of your friends smoke, do you think there is a stereotypical smoker, who do you think gives people our age access to cigarettes, and who do you think is at fault for the large number of underage smokers. The reasons I chose this theme for my project is that I think in order to fully understand something you need to know the who, what, where, why and how. I asked people at my schools, in the Regional Youth Multicultural Center, and my principal. Unfortunately, I was only able to get one smoker for the interview and one who has quit smoking for several months now. In my next project, I hope to get an even mix of smokers and non-smokers.

By: Nadia Type: Video Date: March 23rd 2010 Title: What? Story: This video is an interview. I interviewed smokers, non-smokers, and ex-smokers. I found it very surprising at how little some people knew about the black market and about what their fellow students are smoking. I also found it interesting at how similar many of the answers were. If I were to do this video again, I would probably interview more smokers and maybe an adult.

By: Nadia Type: Video Date: March 23rd 2010 Title: Where and How? Story: The video is self-explanatory but the following is a bit of an elaboration. The main point of my video is that even though schools aren’t supporting smoking, and even though they have adds and guest speakers come in to try and stop kids from smoking, they do not enforce it. By that, I mean that teachers turn a “blind eye”. The bus turn-around was just one example. Teachers are literally standing maybe 20 feet away from students smoking and do not do a thing about it. If they expect kids to either stop smoking or not start it in the first place, they should actually enforce it. My interview was with a friend who smoked for 6 months but has now quit.

By: Vinay Type: Photo Date: March 3 Title: The pub Story: Recently up pub moved into this area, this has attracted a large number of smokers amongst other things. The main issue with this is that it was placed right next to a youth center. My concern with this is the fact that youth trying to get to the youth center have to go through a group of smokers. The center is trying to get youth away from such things and is very concerned. One thing that bothered me the most is that the decision to move the pub to that location, was made without considering the opinion of the surrounding buildings ex: the youth center. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hoping the city council will rethink this decision.

By: Vinay Type: Photo Date: March 3 Title: The Back lane A back lane, aka an alleyway, is a place where many things go on. You could listen to a lot of things about how bad things happen in back lanes, but what comes to mind when you hear people saying this? ''I found my son and his friends trying to light up cigarette buds in the back alley." "I smoke it the back alleys, so that my parents don't find out.'' There are so many things going on in those back alleys both negative and positive. The next time you walk past one, take a peek, you may see something interesting.

By: Vinay Type: Photo Date: March 2010 Title: Corner Story: Near my school there is a smoking spot, the only place where people are allowed to smoke. All kinds of people hang out there, just as all kinds of products are used there. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to see that a lot of youth use this spot, and if you ask around you'll also find out that the tobacco products come from all many of places. Some are homemade, meaning that the tobacco is bought separately and is put together in homes. Some youth sell tobacco products to each other, some of which are contraband, fake, or homemade, while some are simply shared. There is a tobacco system affecting our youth, causing addiction ages to get lower and lower.

By: Vinay Type: Photo Date: March 24 Title: Convenience stores Story: We all know about convenience stores, always just around the corner, to your convenience. Apart from chain convenience stores, such as Mac's, Couche tard and many others, there are other privately owned stores. These stores are not very different in comparison with other stores product wise, but when it comes to their tobacco products, there are serious issues many are unaware of. A lot of privately owned convenience stores sell mimicked and contraband tobacco products. These products are sold cheaply, and the stores are located in dense urban areas, causing the products to seep into the population, unnoticed. This is a problem that is slowly but surely increasing.

By: Vinay Type: Photo Date: March Title: Smog Story: What are world would look like if everyone smoked

Toronto

By: Raj Type: Photo Date: March 04/2010 Title: "At Home" Description: I took this picture on a Thursday night after I returned home from work, the two cigarette stubs are the native cigarettes that I bought earlier on in the day. I was not going to get my paycheque until the following morning. So on Thursday morning I bought 5 singles native smokes for 2 Dollars, I smoked three at work and finished the other two when I arrived at home before I went to bed.

By: Raj Type: Photo Date: March 04/2010 Title: "Hard Times" Story: I took this picture on a Thursday afternoon outside my workplace in one of the family shelters that exist in Toronto. The cigarette stubs in this picture was accumulated in a span of approximately one hour by two clients. Most of the cigarettes stubs with brown tips are the native cigarettes and I believe that the cigarette stubs with white tips are Viscount brand. I was making a conclusion that living under harsh conditions especially in a shelter environment raise the tendency of people in smoking more cigarettes to ease their stress level. What I found interesting also is the Value Village tag within the picture which symbolizes the most common place where half of the shelter residents purchase their clothes from.

By: Raj Type: Photo Date: March 19/2010 Title: "Stairways Nuisance" Story: Usually this ashtray is situated directly beside the front exit of [the Youth Center], and the staff only brings it in when it is time to close the community centre. However today it was being stored inside the community centre, a full two hours before the doors are closed. The reason being, the ashtray encourages young people who attend the program at [the Youth Center] to hang out directly in front of the door while they are smoking their cigarettes which is not a good image for both the youths themselves and [the Youth Center] as a social service agency. The youths standing in front of the entrance smoking their cigarettes could also be interpreted as an intimidation which often discourage a lot of other people from coming into the centre to require the various services that they require according to their own individual needs.

By: Raj Type: Photo Date: March 19/2010 Title: "Triple A (Augusta Avenue Ashtray)" Story: I took this picture on a Friday afternoon outside of [the Youth Center] as I was observing a couple of people who attend the homeless drop- in centre having a smoke while socializing with each other. Most of the people who attend the drop- in are of First Nations background and they often smoke the native cigarettes because they are cheap and easily accessible for them. Personally, when I fall on a little bit of hard times and have to smoke native cigarettes because I cannot afford the famous brands there are a few people around the Kensington Market area that I can purchase native cigarettes from. One thing that I found ironic as well is the writing on the side of the ashtray which says "Hurt Less." When you are smoking a cigarette it can help you relax and temporarily block all those things that could easily stress you out. However, the long term effect of smoking is quite harmful for the human body and most smokers tend to not really care about the toxic chemicals that they put in to their bodies.

By: Raj Type: Photo Date: March 19/2010 Title: "Neighbour's Fury" Story: I took this picture on a Friday afternoon outside [the Youth Center] where I am a participant in the Youth Access Project. The neighbour who lives beside the community centre is a great man who is often pretty reasonable at times. However, on the odd occasions he can get very agitated towards the youths who often attend [the Youth Center] for various programming due to the issue of youths throwing cigarette stubs and garbage on his private property. This picture shows the reason why the neighbour tend to get irritated at times as those cigarette stubs and that blue lighter actually is situated on his private property.

By: Raj Type: Photo Date: March 19/2010 Title: "Is It Really Effective" Story: I always wondered what is the point of putting a non- smoking sign in public places if in reality people just going to light up a cigarette no matter what anyways. Non- smoking signs supposed to discourage people from smoking but the truth is people still smoke within the areas that were already established as a "smoke free zone." How many times do we see people smoking inside a bus or streetcar shelters during the winter time. It often makes other people around the bus stop feel uncomfortable and most tend to complain to the smoker.

By: Raj Type: Photo Date: March 17/2010 Title: "Wall of Shame" Story: I took this picture on a Wednesday afternoon behind my workplace at one of the family shelters in downtown Toronto. Due to the area that the shelter is situated, the area behind the shelter is often used by people who are living on the streets as a place for them to socialize with each other. Some of them just stood there smoking cigarettes while having conversation with others. Sometimes, other street people used the area as place for them to consume their narcotic products which sometimes they laced it on their cigarettes.

By: Raj Type: Photo Date: March 18/2010 Title: "Dirty Steps" Story: I took this picture on a Thursday morning near the emergency exits behind my apartment building. There was a house party the night before that and this picture is a small taste of the aftermath. As you can see most of the cigarette stubs with the white tips are Belmonts brand which is one of the famous brands of cigarettes that people smoke. Nothing like waking up at seven o' clock in the morning to the sound of your neighbours arguing, vomit in the middle of the stairways, and cigarette stubs all over the emergency exit.

By: Raj Type: Photo Date: March 04/2010 Title: "Unholy Trinity" Description: My little cousin came over to the house to hang out and these are what is left from the three cigarettes that he smoked in a span of thirty minutes. He is currently fifteen years old and according to my Aunt he is starting to show symptoms of declining health. He often smoke like a chimney and his brand of choice is the native cigarettes because that is the type of cigarettes that he could afford to purchase on the weekly allowance that is given to him.

By: Raj Type: Photo Date: March 21/2010 Title: "Have You Ever Heard of An Ashtray" Story: For most smokers, smoking cigarettes is more than just a habit. Some people smoke to ease their mind while others smoke in order to not be excluded from a social group or environment. One thing that I found most annoying about smoking is how most smokers tend to be very mindless about how their habit affect others. Recently, more scientists became convinced that second- hand smoke has more negative effects than actually smoking first hand. Most smokers also tend to put out their cigarettes on the ground instead of using various ashtrays that are available in a lot of public places within Toronto. I took this picture at my workplace on a Sunday morning around 10:00 AM, this picture shows how mindless smokers can be. I took this picture from one of the area at the shelter where most clients like to hang out and socialize with each other. Even though we have two public ashtrays near the front exit of the shelter complete with benches for clients to sit around and smoke their cigarettes. However, most of the times these ashtrays tend to be empty of cigarette stubs because the clients like to hang out in a different spot instead.

By: Raj Type: Photo Date: March 21/2010 Title: "Morning Addiction" Story: For most smokers, lighting up a cigarette is the first event of the day. Many of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dependence on cigarettes partly evolves from a routine built mostly on making opportunities to smoke. The early morning cigarette can set the tone for the rest of the day. I took this picture at my workplace on a Sunday morning at 07:30 AM. I found it interesting how a lot of smokers in the shelter that I work in, went straight outside for a cigarette when they wake up instead of having breakfast first. According to a recent study, most smokers who prefer to light up in the morning have higher tendencies of being addicted to the nicotine that exist in cigarettes. It was explained that people who smoke within 30 minutes of waking up in the morning consume higher numbers of nicotine compared to other smokers who waited until later on in the day before smoking their cigarettes.

By: Raj Type: Photo Date: March 20/2010 Title: "Favourite Brand" Story: I decided to take a picture of this cigarette pack for a couple of reasons. The first one being after smoking for approximately ten years and going through different brand of cigarettes, last year I decided to switch from my usual brand of Du Maurier Regular to Dunhill Regular. The second reason being, this cigarette pack has the duty tax seal which makes it a legitimate cigarette that could be sold in Canada compared to most native cigarettes which do not carry the duty tax seal from the government of Canada. The third reason is because of the warning label that read "CIGARETTES CAUSE STROKES." See the warning sign is written in bold lettering and in a font size that is quite visible complete with a long list of explanation of what could happen to you if you smoke. However, it still does not deter myself or other smokers from picking up that pack and smoking those cigarettes.

By: Raj Type: Photo Date: March 20/2010 Title: "Death Wish" Story: I took this picture on a Saturday morning before I went to work, the cigarette stubs in the ashtray was accumulated in a span of approximately one and a half hour during my attempt to clean my apartment. I gave this picture the title "Death Wish" because as a smoker by picking up that cigarette and smoking it subconsciously I am signing my own death wish. Tobacco smoking is a major preventable factor that could lead to death. Cigarette smoking is a very addictive and expensive habit yet a lot of people especially youths still do it anyways. Many smokers claim that their smoking habit helps them to relax, but there is no doubt that smoking is harmful to health and has a detrimental effect on athletic performance.

By: Mark Type: Video Date: March 5, 2010 Title: Unbiased or biased opinions? Story: A young person who does not smoke talks about smoking. His opinion is probably different from someone who does smoke or has smoked. Is his opinion unbiased because he hasn't smoked or biased because he has chosen not to smoke?

By: Mark Type: Photo Date: March 8, 2010 Title: 25 to Life? Story: Young person steps outside for a smoke. - Where did he get that cigarette? - When & why did he start? - Has he ever tried to quit? - Does someone at home smoke? - Is anyone pushing him to quit?

By: Mark Type: Video Date: March 1st, 2010 Title: Ins and Outs of Tobacco Story: A young man shares his opinion about smoking in the midst of yelling and screaming. He is asked all kinds of questions regarding the topic.

By: Tallah Type: Photo Date: March 2010 Title: Nikka Teen Story: I took this pic because this is the smoking spot where most young people smoke at my school. Not only is she risking her health, but she is also risking getting suspended for smoking on school property. This photo represents the sacrifices teens make to smoke. This shows the power tobacco has on people.

By: Tallah Type: Photo Date: March 19, 2010 Title: canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop, wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop Story: Teens think that once they start they can put it down when ever they feel like but half the time most get addicted and then they cant stop and they wont stop. Some will put themselves in situations where they will smoke instead of eat because it stops their hunger.

By: Tallah Type: Video Date: March 23, 2010 Title: Anti-Youth Smoking Video Story: I made this song to remind youths of what smoking does and the effect it has against others you may know and love. I did it in this way to grab teenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention especially. Youth these days donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really pay much attention to the side effects or what can happen in the long run. With this video I hope it speaks and decreases the amount of smokers.

By: Tallah Type: Photo Date: March 19, 2010 Title: we expect I.D. Story: I took this photo because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good to have some stores that actually ask for I.D. which is the law. Kids can often go to a store and just get cigarettes with no problems some store owners just care about getting money.

By: Tallah Type: Photo Date: March 2010 Title: Down to the bud Story: Some smokers will often smoke right down to the bud...shows how addicted they are

By: Ruby Type: Photo Date: March 2, 2010 Title: Aftereffects Story: I found this pack of du-maurier's at home, it's my mothers, I also smoke them. This photo makes me feel scared because a lot of people in my family smoke, and have been smoking for years. The pack doesn't say Cigarettes Can Cause Mouth Diseases, it does cause mouth diseases. Cigarettes do cause harm to anyone who smoke it, loss of breath is a big one, from experience. Since I started smoking I cannot walk up stairs without panting.

By: Ruby Type: Photo Date: March 2, 2010 Title: Long Time Smoke Story: I took this photo of my mother smoking a cigarette. She has been smoking for over 20 years. I have seen her trying to quit smoking, it is verrryyy difficult for her. She chewed gum a lot, it works for a little bit though.

By: Ruby Type: Photo Date: March 11, 2010 Title: UNDERAGE SMOKING Story: I took this photo because it made me think about how many children from age 10 even, started to smoke cigarettes because their parents or peers influence them at such a young age. Most kids get cigarettes by stealing them from their parents. Or they also ask people on the street for a cigarette and people just give it away not asking for their age. I know from my own experience, most stores around toronto will sell me cigarettes without i.d .

By: Ruby Type: Photo Date: March 2010 Title: Untitled Story: I decided to PRINTSCREEN this because i wanted to find out what other youth think about smoking, and as you can see only TWO people answered. But both of them were going the same way with it.

By: Joe Type: Photo Date: March 6, 2010 Title: Don't stand outside Story: I took this photo because I found it interesting. Why is the CO-OP telling its residents not to stand outside? It does not pertain to the laundry mat inside, as there is no real safety issues with regards to a laundry mat. I also think this sign is vindictive of the attitude towards low income youth in Toronto. This increases stress and may lead to smoking.

By: Joe Type: Photo Date: March 6, 2010 Title: Alley Story: I took this photo for no specific reasons; I felt it had artistic value. Also gets a good view of the neighborhood and it shows the low income. I feel low income is correlated to higher smoking rates due to the perceived stress relieving effects of cigarettes.

By: Joe Type: Photo Date: March 18 Title: Plants Get Cancer Too Story: I thought it was pretty cool to see the cigarette pack in the middle of all the dead and brown plants, it kinda looks like it killed all the foliage. The cigarette package is open, so its like the plants smoked them, and they died. Sounds absurd. Anyway, this is actually beside a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playground, and it is interesting to note that there were parents and teenagers smoking near the children.

By: Joe Type: Photo Date: March 17, 2010 Title: Smokes by the fence Story: A similar brand the to last photo, I actually saw someone discard this pack. I waited for a couple minutes before I took the photo, because I didn't want to seem too suspicious. I just like how the strong colours of the cigarette pack contrast with the rest of the scenery, except for the pop bottle, which I tried to exclude from the photo, but it didn't really work out.

By: Joe Type: Photo Date: March 18th 2010 Title: Smoking in my OWN backyard Story: Sort of an oddity, a random lighter in my backyard. My household has 2 smokers, but both of them vehemently deny this being on of their own. At any rate, the lighter is functional, however I decided to leave it on the floor. I just find it interesting that the smoking paraphernalia is so wide spread and accepted. It's literally even in my own backyard.

By: Jimar Type: Photo Date: 03â&#x20AC;&#x201C;19â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10 Title: Relaxing smoke Story: This picture was taken in front of my school and the guys in the photo are from my class, this was the first picture I took for the project. These guys would come out every break stand in the same spot and smoke at least 3 cigarettes. Before this project I kept my distance from smokers, but now if not all my friends are smokers, I have a new out look on smokers and a certain amount of respect to the reasons why they smoke.

By: Jimar Type: Video Date: 03â&#x20AC;&#x201C;18â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10 Title: DAVID'S Interview Story: David is one of my many animated teachers who was kind enough to share his story with me. David story was an interesting one because it tells that smoking can start at a young age due to the habits of the parents. So a lot of responsibilities fall upon the parents to talk to their kids about smoking and to teach them about it.

100

By: Jimar Type: Video Date: 03â&#x20AC;&#x201C;18â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10 Title: PETER'S Interview Story: Peter is in my class and was cool with me interviewing him. Peter goes out for every break in the back of the college and would smoke at least 3 cigarettes within 15 minutes. Peter is a great artist and is very dedicated to his work. He wants to stop smoking and have tried patches and even going cold turkey. He wants to stop but like all smokers he has his up's and down's but he has the dedication to stop smoking for good.

101

By: Jimar Type: Video Date: 03â&#x20AC;&#x201C;18â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10 Title: Natasha's Interview Story: Natasha was the first person I interviewed for my project. She has been smoking since she was 14 and is now trying to stop smoking, and was very willing to be apart of my project. Natasha is very knowledgeable when it comes to quitting and is ready to take that big step and quit smoking for good. I'm glad to say that she is now one of my many friends that smoke, it is hard to be around them at times but I have a new understanding for why they smoke.

102

Appendix 2: Ning Screen Shots

NlNG NING is a virtual social network that enabled YRCs to create personal profiles, blog about their experiences, share and gain feedback about their media projects, and engage with YRCs from each site. NING is designed to facilitate member engagement by providing virtual spaces for sharing, compiling and organizing content including usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; stories and multimedia. The site leveraged the knowledge and experience of both individuals and the collective team in creating a rich and diverse dialogue around tobacco issues. http://youthvoicesresearch.ning.com

103

“Main Page”

104

“My Page”

105

“Photos” Page

106

“Videos” Page

107

“Blogs” Page

108

Appendix 3: Facebook Screen Shots

Facebook Facebook groups and direct messaging were used to communicate with YRCs on an ongoing basis regarding daily operations and oneon-one Project support.

109

Facebook Group for Rural Ontario YRCs

110

Appendix 4 Training resources developed for the Youth Research Consultants

Training Manual

111

A project by the Youth Voices Research Group Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of

February 26 - March 31, 2010

112

OVERVIEW The ACCESS PROJECT is a project by the Youth Voices Research Group at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. The Project goals are to use multimedia, including websites, video, and photography, to learn more about what young people think about ACCESS to tobacco treatment and black market cigarettes in Ontario. This project is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion. In our workshop, we will cover issues like: camera use, video/photograph editing, confidentiality/ privacy, consent, ethics, blogging and critiquing. We describe the work we are doing in this project as Photovoice. Photovoice puts a camera into your hands so you can show others how you see the world. Photos are used to tell stories or show something that you think is important to share. In the ACCESS PROJECT, we have put a twist on Photovoice by encouraging you to make videos to share your stories or messages.

CONTACT INFO The ACCESS PROJECT: Lead members: Andrea Yip Nadia Fazal Samy Saad Ramez Email: youthvoicesresearch@gmail.com NING website: http://youthvoicesresearch.ning.com

Youth Voices Research Group: 155 College Street, 5th Floor, Room 586 Toronto, ON M5T 3M7 Twitter: @yvresearch Website: www.youthvoices.ca Principal Investigator: Cameron Norman, cameron.norman@utoronto.ca Project Manager: Jill Charnaw-Burger, healthpromotionstudies@gmail.com

113

TABLE OF CONTENTS JOB DESCRIPTION

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS

SAFETY

PROJECT IDEAS!

8 STEPS TO MAKING YOUR MEDIA PROJECT

STEP 1 USING THE CAMERA

9-12

STEP 2 SAVE ALL OF YOUR VIDEOS/PHOTOS TO THE EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE STEP 3 EDITING photos videos

13 14-15 16-18

STEP 4 TELL THE STORY BEHIND YOUR PHOTOS/VIDEOS

STEP 5 GROUP SHARING OF VIDEO/PHOTO PROJECTS

STEP 6 UPLOAD SELECTED VIDEOS/PHOTOS TO THE PORTAL

STEP 7 NING the basics blogging comments

22 23-24 25

STEP 8 TRACK YOUR VIDEOS/PHOTOS

WHEN FILMING AND TAKING PHOTOS, REMEMBER

RESOURCES

114 114

JOB DESCRIPTION YOUTH RESEARCH CONSULTANT As a Youth Research Consultant on the Access Project with the Youth Voices Research Group (YVRG), University of Toronto, you will be acting as the voice of youth in Ontario when it comes to issues of smoking, tobacco treatment, and black market cigarettes. Your role will be to create media, such as video or photographs, that describe what young people have to say about these topics; and participate in offline and online discussions about your creations and experiences as a Research Consultant. The media projects you create are intended to be shared with the Access Project team, general public, and may be showcased at several youth ‘Unconferences’ hosted by YVRG in Ontario in March 2010. You will be working directly with the Access Project lead members, Nadia Fazal, Samy Ramez Saad and Andrea Yip, throughout the duration of the Project. Length of consultancy: February 26 to March 31, 2010 An honorarium will be provided for your participation RESPONSIBILITIES • Weekly meetings: Attend 2-hour meetings each week and any additional mandatory training • Create media projects: Create at least one media project (for example, short videos or photographs) each week that addresses issues around tobacco treatment, smoking, and black market cigarettes. This may involve storyboarding, shooting/filming and using editing software. o Create a written description with your media project that explains why the project was created and its main message o Upload and share your media project with the Access Project Team via the Portal. Once approved by the team, projects may then be shared with the general public (ex. on Ning, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube) and with people you know (ex. friends and family) o Keep track of where (ex. websites) you share your media projects and the feedback that your projects receive o Share equipment and software supplied by YVRG with Team members • Blog: Create a profile on the Youth Voices Research Group Ning network (visit http:// youthvoicesresearch.ning.com) and blog at least three times a week. You are encouraged to share and describe your media projects, talk about tobacco issues and your experiences as research consultants, and talk with other people on the site. EXPECTATIONS • As a group we will agree and hold each other accountable to ‘Statement of Rights’ and any ground rules we decide on as a team • To notify Access Project lead members if you will be unable to attend any meetings • Express any questions or concerns about the Access Project to the Access Project lead members 115

115

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS As members of the ACCESS PROJECT, we all have the right to...

RESPECT: We all come from different backgrounds and have unique life experiences that make us who we are. Let’s celebrate our differences and respect the talents and voices of our fellow team members. BE HEARD: No one’s opinion is right or wrong or good or bad. Everyone has the right to share their voice and to be heard by the group. DISAGREE: It is okay to disagree with others but to do so in a respectful way. PARTICIPATE: Everyone should have an opportunity to speak and participate in Project activities. PASS: You can decide to “pass” if you don’t feel comfortable sharing with the group. SUPPORT: We will work together as a team, helping each other out as we learn. Lead members are there to support and guide the team through the Project. START AND END ON TIME: When we agree to project deadlines or meet as a group, it’s important that we follow through with our commitments, come prepared, and come on time. CONFIDENTIALITY: What is said in the group, stays in the group. SAFETY: This is a meant to be a safe and supportive space for everyone. Be aware of the way your actions and words can affect other members. HAVE FUN! This is a creative project for you to make your own. Let the group know what will make this a fun experience for you! We can add more RIGHTS as a group.

As members of the ACCESS PROJECT team we all agree and hold each other accountable to this STATEMENT OF RIGHTS. 116

116

SAFETY We are excited to work with you on the ACCESS PROJECT! This Project is meant to encourage self-expression around issues of smoking, black market cigarettes, and tobacco treatment through video, photography, and blogging. Through this process, you will be learning more about tobacco issues and sharing your stories and messages about tobacco through your media projects and group discussion. From this you may start to reflect on your life experiences and learn a lot more about your peers, friends, family, community and yourself. You may also start to be in touch with thoughts and feelings, both new and old, that may be good (happy, joy, etc.) or not so good (upset, disappointed, etc.). Start to track these thoughts and feelings, and any changes you notice in your behavior (if you are withdrawing from your daily activities, if you have problems eating or sleeping, etc.) and share this with the lead ACCESS PROJECT members or your group facilitator. If you want help understanding the changes in feelings, thoughts, or behaviors you are experiencing, we can help connect you with someone who can support you. Just let Sam, Andrea, or Nadia know: Email youthvoicesresearch@gmail.com

117 117

PROJECT IDEAS! To get your creative juices flowing, here are some ideas for video and photography projects... Interview your friends, family, or even yourself Take a walk in your community Look at the street signs in your city or town Photograph/Video different areas of the city, architecture, personal landmarks, etc. Act out a scenario Read a passage that is important to you Make a video diary where you can share your thoughts and feelings Find images or scenes that illustrate a story you are trying to tell Use a series of photographs to tell a story Add your ideas to this list:

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

If it helps, think of some questions or issues about tobacco that you are curious about: Do a lot of my friends smoke? Why or why not? Do most people my age think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to quit smoking? Why or why not? Where do people my age get cheap cigarettes? If thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s someone who wanted to quit smoking and they asked me where they could go for help, do I know where to direct them? Why or why not? Add your questions to this list:

118

8 STEPS TO MAKING YOUR MEDIA PROJECT STEP 1: Sign out the camera using the sign-up sheet. Go out and capture your photos/videos. Make sure to take notes as you shoot STEP 2: Sign the camera back in, save all of your photos/videos to the external hard drive STEP 3: Edit your photos/videos (optional) STEP 4: Select 2-4 photos/videos you would like to share with the group. Tell the story of at least ONE of these selected photos/videos in writing. STEP 5: Group sharing of video/photo projects STEP 6: Upload selected videos/photos and their stories to the Portal. Comment on your video/photo on the Ning site. STEP 7: Blog about your experiences creating the photos/video and the finished products 2-3 times/week STEP 8: Keep track of other websites that you post your final photos/videos to

119 119

STEP 1 USING THE CAMERA

120

STEP 1 USING THE CAMERA TURNING ON/OFF 1. Turn your camera on by pressing the ON/ OFF button on the top of the camera. The screen will turn on. 2. Check out the upper right corner of the screen. If you see a battery symbol it means you’re getting low on battery power and you’ll want to have spare batteries ready. 3. Check out the lower right corner of the screen to see how many pictures you have left on your memory card. TAKING A PHOTO 1. Press the long “Shooting Mode Button” shooting options will appear.

at the top of the camera. A menu with

Use the round “Multi selector” button to scroll up (press ) and down (press ) the different shooting options. Use the this to select “Easy Auto Mode”. Scroll UP Scroll DOWN

3 Press OK Focus and Shoot! 4. Look for the big silver button (the shutter-release button) next to the On/Off button at the top of the camera. 5. To focus, gently press half way down on the silver button. a. If the camera is focusing properly, a green [ ] will appear on your screen and you’ll hear 2 beeps b. If the camera is not focusing properly, a red [ ] will appear on your screen and you’ll hear 3 beeps. If this happens, the camera may be too close to your subject. Try stepping back or zooming out. 6. Hold the camera steady and press the big silver button the rest of the way down. If your subject is in low light, the flash will go off.

121

STEP 1 USING THE CAMERA MAKING A MOVIE 1. Press the long “Shooting Mode Button” options will appear.

at the top of the camera. A menu with shooting

the round Multi selector button to 2 Use scroll up (press ) and down (press ) the different shooting options. Use the this to select “Movie”. Scroll UP Scroll DOWN

3 OK! Focus and Shoot! 4. Look for the big silver button (the shutter-release button) next to the On/Off button at the top of the camera. 5. To focus, gently press half way down on the silver button. a. If the camera is focusing properly, a green dot will appear on your screen and you’ll hear 2 beeps b. If the camera is not focusing properly, a red dot will appear on your screen and you’ll hear 3 beeps. If this happens, the camera may be too close to your subject. Try stepping back or zooming out. 6. Press the big silver button all the way down to start recording. A red “REC” sign will flash in the top left hand corner of the screen while it is recording. The countdown timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen tells you how much video time you have left to record on your camera. 7. Press the big silver button all the way down to stop recording. The camera cannot store a lot of video. For this reason, it’s best to keep your videos short (under 2-3 minutes) if you can. FRAME YOUR IMAGE 1. Avoid having any objects (ex. your fingers, hair, etc.) blocking the lens and flash. 2. Look for the W - T Zoom button on the upper right corner of the camera. Pressing W (Wide) will zoom out to the widest frame possible (subject looks far away). Pressing T (Telephoto) will zoom in to the tightest frame possible (subject looks close up). 3. Take time to set up your shot and frame it the way you want it. QUICK TIPS - Sound: If you are recording sounds or voices (ex. an interview) try a test recording to make sure the camera is picking up the sound. Have people speak toward the speaker at the front of the camera. - Light: if you want to show something on film, make sure it is lit up enough so that the camera can see it - Notes: Take notes while you are taking photos/videos. This can help you keep track of your thoughts and the images that you collect. 122 122

STEP 1 USING THE CAMERA VIEWING YOUR PHOTOS/VIDEOS 1. Press the button with the black arrow pointing to the right at the top of the camera. You should see the last picture you took. 2. On the multi selector button, press on the left icon to click backwards through all your pictures. If you want to go forwards, press on the right icon. Multi Selector Button Right icon

Left icon

Flower icon

3. To playback a video, press the OK button in the multi selector. 4. If you want to delete a photo/video, press the TRASH button. “Erase Image?” will appear in the monitor. To delete the photo/video, press the flower icon at the bottom of the multi selector to select YES and press OK. If you don’t want to delete, leave NO selected and press OK. CARING FOR THE CAMERA 1. Handle the camera gently and try not to force anything. 2. Don’t force the camera to shut off - this can damage the camera and/or the photos/videos on it. 3. Store the camera in a place that is dry, at room temperature, secure, and not near other electronic equipment. INSERT BATTERIES 1. Get new AA batteries from your facilitator 2. Turn off the camera 3. Holding the camera upside down, open the battery chamber 4. Follow the + and – symbols to insert the batteries 5. Close the chamber CAUTION: Keep batteries at room temperature. Putting batteries near heat can cause them to explode. *The camera will automatically turn off after a few minutes if you don’t use it. This helps save your battery power* *The camera will also automatically “fall asleep” after a few seconds if you don’t use it. You will know it’s sleeping if the green light is flashing and the screen turns black. To “wake up” the camera, gently press the ON/OFF button* See the checklist at the back of this manual for a checklist of things to bring with you when you go out and shoot! 123 123

SAVE ALL OF YOUR PHOTOS/VIDEOS TO STEP 2 THE EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE MAKE SURE to save all of your photos/videos to the external hard drive BEFORE you return the camera for the next person to use. Here’s how you do it: 1. Create a personal folder on the computer with your name and the date. (ex. “Susie_March 20”) 2. Use the cable to connect the camera and the computer and turn the camera ON. OR, if you have the Multi Card reader do the following: Using the Multi-Card Reader a. Turn your camera off. b. Open the battery chamber and gently press on the SD memory card to eject it. c. Plug the Multi-Card reader into the computer. d. Carefully insert the SD card into the slot “SD/MMC”. Don’t force it if it doesn’t fit. 3. Open the folder containing all of your video and image files from the Camera. Copy and paste files into your personal folder. This may take a few minutes. 4. Once the files have copied into your folder, open your folder and try opening a video and photo file to make sure they open properly. If something is wrong with the file, you may have to try step 3 again or get help from a friend. 5. Make sure the external hard drive is plugged into the computer. 6. Copy and paste your folder into the external hard drive. This may take a few minutes. 7. Once you are sure the folder has copied into the external hard drive, delete your photos/ videos from the computer you are working on so no one else can access them: Drag the video/photo files into the Recycling Bin and empty the bin. 8. Safely detach the cable OR Multi-Card reader from the computer. a. If you are using the Multi-Card Reader, carefully remove the SD Card from the Reader and gently put it back into the camera. The card will make a clicking sound when you push it back in. 9. Delete all files on the camera. Here’s how: - Press the playback button and then press the menu button. Highlight delete and press OK, then highlight erase all images and press OK. Select Yes and press OK. 10. Sign-in the camera. *Unless you are editing or viewing your photos/videos, make sure your files are always saved on the external hard drive!*

124 124

STEP 3 EDITING - photos When editing, make sure you always save your projects to your personal folder. When you start editing, transfer your folder from the external hard drive to the computer you are working on. Make your edits and save edited photos/videos into your folder. When you are done, transfer your folder back to the external hard drive. The editing software we will use is

Microsoft Office Picture Manager

1. Transfer the folder containing the photo/video you want to edit from the external hard drive onto the computer 2. Open the folder and “Right Click” on your photo 3. Select “Open With” 4. Select “Microsoft Office Picture Manager”

5. Once the program is open, Click on “Edit Picture”

125 125

STEP 3 EDITING - photos 6. From the right hand menu you can: Auto Correct Lets the program automatically edit your photo. This can be useful, but it may not do everything you want. “Brightness and Contrast” - Auto Brightness lets the program automatically correct the brightness. - Brightness allows you to make the whole picture brighter or darker. - Contrast allows you to make the lighter shades in the picture brighter while at the same time making the darker shades darker. - Midtone allows you change the shades that are in-between light and dark. “Color” - Enhance Color lets the program automatically correct the color balance. - Hue allows you to change the color shade or color itself - Saturation allows you to make colors bold or dull “Crop” - Allows you to cut the picture. Just drag the corners to where you like then crop out the rest. “Red Eye Removal” - Allows you to remove red glare from people’s eyes. For many pictures this may not be necessary. “Resize & Compress Picture” - Allows you to change the file size of the picture making the resolution smaller but uploading faster 7. Once you’re done editing your picture just click “File” and select “Save As” 8. Save the final photo in your folder 9. Transfer the folder back to the external hard drive

126 126

STEP 3 EDITING - videos The editing software we will use is Windows Movie Maker When making a new movie, create a new folder and make sure that all video, audio, or image files you use in the movie are put into this folder. Start by opening “Windows Movie Maker” Before you get started, make sure the “Tasks” button is selected and you the “Timeline” is shown. Your screen will look like this:

Tasks Button Collection

Viewer Task Menu

Play Movie

Timeline View Selected Timeline

127 127

STEP 3 EDITING - videos Use the “Movie Tasks” menu to guide you as you edit:

1. Capture video Click here to import video files you want in your movie Click here to import pictures you want in your movie Find the file in your folder and click “Import”. Your files will appear in the “Collection” window

2. Edit movie Drag a clip (video or photo) in your collection and drop it on the timeline. To shorten the clip, click and drag the ‘edges’ of the clip. Right click on a clip and select Delete to remove unwanted clips in your timeline. Add Effects Click to add effects to your clip. The type of video effects you can add will appear on your screen. Double click any effect to see what it will do to your video - this is shown in your viewer. The effect will be applied to your entire clip. When you find the effect you want, click and drag an effect and drop it on the video clip. To add or remove effects, right click on the clip in the timeline. Select “Video Effects...”. Highlight effects you want to add from the left box and click “Add>>”. Highlight effects you want to remove from your clip from the right box and click “<<Remove”. Click OK. Transitions If you have more than one clip in your timeline, you can add a transition between your clips - this is shown between clips and may help the viewer move between clips. The type of video effects you can add will appear on your screen. Double click any effect to see what it will look like - this is shown in your viewer. Drag a transition and drop it between two clips on your timeline in the “Transition” section. You can only have one transition between clips. 128 128

STEP 3 EDITING - videos Add Titles Click to add a title to your film. You can add one to the beginning of the movie, credits to the end of the movie, and a title before, during or after your clip.

Click the option you want and type in your text. Then click done. Click cancel to return to the Tasks menu.

3. Finish Movie When you are finished editing, click “Save to my computer”. Enter the name of your movie and then save it to your personal folder. Click Next. Make sure “Best quality for playback on my computer” is selected. Click Next. The movie will save this may take a few minutes. Once this is complete you can watch your video by clicking Finish.

There are many effects you can add to your video. This is a basic guide but feel free to experiment with Movie Maker!

129 129

TELL THE STORY STEP 4 BEHIND YOUR PHOTOS/VIDEOS Select 2-4 photos/videos that you want to focus on. You can choose the videos/photos that you think best show what you are trying to say or tell the story you are trying to tell. You will be asked to show the photo/video with the group so choose only those that you feel comfortable sharing and talking about. For each photo or video that you have selected (or at least ONE), write down the story behind the photo/video: what is happening in the photo/video, why you took it, and what it means to you. Here’s an example from one Photovoice project in Toronto and Milton, ON about food and youth:

Your Name: Andrea Date: August 15 Title: “Student breakfast” Story: When a student lives in residences, away from home, preparing meals becomes unimportant, especially during busy times like midterms and final exams. There is nothing better than going home after a long day and having some left over food that can be warmed-up in the microwave. This saves one time and energy. So it becomes a lot less complicated to order pizza on a Saturday and keep the leftovers for the rest of the week. This is obviously not the best brain-food, but it certainly does save time. Location: Neighborhood: Kensington, Intersection: Augusta and College, City: Toronto, ON

The location can be a neighborhood, major street or intersection, landmark, city, or town. Avoid using detailed addresses (ex. 124 Main Street).

130

GROUP SHARING OF STEP 5 VIDEO/PHOTO PROJECTS The group will meet each week to talk about the photos/videos you have selected and the stories you have written about them. Be prepared to share your videos/photos with the group and the descriptions you have prepared.

PHOTO/VIDEO +

131

STORY

UPLOAD SELECTED STEP 6 VIDEOS/PHOTOS/ STORIES TO THE PORTAL http://accessproject.youthvoices.ca/upload We have created a portal for you to use to upload your selected final projects. Here’s how: 1. You will receive an email from Sam, Nadia and Andrea with a link to the portal plus a 4 digit ID that you will use to log-in 2. Go to the portal and type in your ID 3. Click the browse button and find your photo or video on the computer 4. Click OK to select the file 5. Click the “Upload Now” button. The upload may take a few minutes 6. When you are done, close the window or upload a new file 7. Sam, Nadia or Andrea will upload your project from the portal to the NING site. You will receive an email 2-3 days later when your project is uploaded. Make sure to check it out and add any comments you like. At this point you can share your piece with whomever you like. See STEP 7 (page 22) to learn how to use the NING site. *Upload at least one finished video or photo each week*

132 132

STEP 7 NING - the basics www.youthvoicesresearch.ning.com GETTING STARTED... CREATE A PROFILE 1. The website is ‘invite only’ so we will send you an email to join our Youth Voices Research Group NING site. Click the “Click to Join” button in the email you receive. 2. A new window will open. Fill out the form and create a password that only you will know. Click “Sign Up”. 3. Next, create your profile by filling out your name, gender, country & city. Click “Join”. SIGN-IN 1. Visit www.youthvoicesresearch.ning.com 2. Fill in your email address and password. Click “Sign In” SIGN-OUT 1. When you are done using the site, go to the upper right hand corner of the page. Click the “Sign Out” button. 2. Close the window INVITE PEOPLE TO JOIN THE NING Got any friends that want to join our site or come to the unconference? Invite them to NING: 1. In the main menu, click “Invite”. 2. In the “Invite to Youth Voices Research Group” page, click “Enter Email Addresses Manually”. 3. In the “Send To” box type in the email address of the person you are inviting. 4. Click “Send Invitations”. EDIT YOUR POSTS Click on the button to edit your posts on NING. Comments cannot be edited.

WHAT’S ON THE SITE?... MAIN PAGE Anything posted to the site (blog, video, photo, comment posts, etc.) will show up on the main page for you to see. YOUR PROFILE Take a look at all of the stuff you have been doing on the website by going to your page. Here you can upload a profile picture, see all of your posts to the site, change your password, and update your status! In the main menu, click “My Page”. VIDEOS AND PHOTOS Take a look at all of the videos and photographs on the site. In the main menu, click on “Videos” or “Photos”. THE BLOG, COMMENTS & DISCUSSION FORUM 133 This is where all the conversation happens! The next few pages will go over these features in detail.

133

STEP 7 NING - blogging The word “blog” comes from the word “web log” -- these are websites lets anyone share news, thoughts, or ideas with people online. In a blog you can post photos (“photoblogging”) or videos (“vlogging”) as a way of sharing your news, thoughts, or ideas. This is YOUR website where you can read other posts, add your own posts, and talk with other members. We encourage you to post 2-3 times per week. POST A BLOG 1. In the main menu click on “Blogs” 2. You will see all the blog posts from ACCESS PROJECT members. In the upper right hand corner under the main menu, click on the button, 3. On the “Add a Blog Post” page, there are 3 (a, b, and c) things you need to fill in order to blog:

Give your blog post a title here

Type in your message in here

Type your tags here (ex. smoking tobacco “I like blogging”)

“Now”, “Everyone” and “Everyone” are selected (this should be automatic)

134

Done? Click here!

STEP 7 NING - blogging SHARE A VIDEO LINK OR A PHOTO IN YOUR BLOG POST Blog about your projects and provide a link to them! 1. Create a new blog post (see previous page). To add: a. PHOTOS: To include a photo, click on the button at the top of the Entry box. Click browse to find the photo on your computer. Click “Add” to upload. b. LINKS: To add a website or video link in your comment, click on the button at the top of the entry box. Type in the website and click “OK”.

1a Add a photo

1b Add a link

2 “Everyone” and “Everyone” are 3 “Now”, selected (This should be automatic)

135

Fill in the post title, entry box, and tags.

Done? Click here!

STEP 7 NING - comments Comments are a great way to give feedback about a video, photo, or blog post. POST A COMMENT Want to comment on someone’s blog post, video, or photo? Here’s how: 1. Click on the title of the blog post, video, or photo you want to comment on. 2. A new page with the post will appear. Scroll to the bottom of the page where you will see the “Comment” box. Type your comment in. a. PHOTOS: To include a photo, click on the button at the top of the Comment box. Click browse to find the photo on your computer. Click “Add” to upload. b. LINKS: To add a website link in your comment, click on the Comment box. Type in the website and click “OK”.

button at the top of the

3 2b Add a link

2a Add a photo

136

Done? Click here!

TRACK YOUR STEP 8 VIDEOS/PHOTOS You are encouraged to share your final photo/video projects with your friends and family once they have been uploaded to the NING site. Feel free to share you projects on your own website, Facebook page, over email/MSN, on YouTube, or however else you want! These are your creations so you can share them with the world! We are interested in learning about how you are sharing your projects & encourage you to track this information:

Project Title

Website/Web Tool (ex. Facebook, MySpace, email, MSN, chatroom, YouTube, Flickr, etc.)

Example

“The underground world of cigarettes” (video)

Sent a link to my mom over email and put a link on my personal Facebook page

137

WHEN FILMING & TAKING PHOTOS, REMEMBER: PERMISSION When you’re out in the field, you need to get permission before taking someone’s photo or capturing them on video. Explain to that person what the ACCESS PROJECT is, why you are taking her/his photo/video, and have the person in your photo/video sign a consent form. Offer them a copy of the consent form and your business card. SAFETY Your safety is number ONE when you are taking photos/videos. Do not take a photo/ video if you feel the situation is uncertain or potentially dangerous. REPRESENTATION Photos and videos may only provide a ‘snapshot’ or small piece of what’s going on in the world. It is important to think about how your photo/video portrays certain individuals or issues.

CHECK LIST OF STUFF TO HAVE WITH YOU WHEN TAKING PHOTOS/VIDEOS: Camera (check that the memory card is in there!) Consent forms Extra batteries Note pad and pen Business cards

138

RESOURCES FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHY A collection of photo and video projects by young people around the world www.globalyouthvoices.org Hot Docs Library – Youth Zone http://tr.im/Pvoj has a great collection of short films for youth, by youth National Film Board of Canada http://www.nfb.ca has lots of films to watch online and info on documentary, animation, and film culture. A fun playlist to watch is the “Mediatheque Summer Camp 2009” Nikon Film Festival www.nikonfestival.com has tons of films to watch online, all of which are 140 seconds or less! A great photoblog by local Torontonian & photographer Sam Javanrouh who posts one new photo each day http://wvs.topleftpixel.com YouTube www.youtube.com and Vimeo www.vimeo.com have lots of videos to search through. At these sites you can create a personal account, upload your videos and comment and rate other videos. Similarly, Flickr www.flickr.com is like YouTube and Vimeo, but for photographs. A project about healthy eating and food access in the US that involved a lot of creative video making by youth, for youth www.marketmakeovers.org TOBACCO Smoke free Ontario http://tr.im/Pvob has lots of information on smoking and tobacco use in Ontario Leave the Pack Behind www.leavethepackbehind.org works at university and college campuses to promote tobacco control for students Health Canada Youth Zone http://tr.im/Pvrm has info and stories about tobacco and smoking The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health http://tr.im/PvnS has some hard facts about tobacco and smoking

Reference: The ‘Step 1 Using the Camera’ section of this manual was adapted from the “I WAS HERE” booklet for participants published by the NFB pix project by Katerina Cizek.

139

Appendix 5: Release Form

140

Appendix 6: Youth Research Consultant Business Cards Business Card

141

Appendix 7: Certificates of Participation

142