The Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion has cut funding to the Youth Action Alliances (YAA’s) across the province. This means the work of extinguish and dozens of other similar groups will end by August 31, weakening the fight against youth manipulation by the tobacco industry.
“extinguish has reached over 100,000 young people in Peel through our website, Facebook, YouTube and face-to-face activities,” says Jasleen Singh, a Peer Leader and member of extinguish. “The void left by the funding cuts provides the tobacco industry with the ideal opportunity to more aggressively pursue its agenda to recruit new tobacco-product users without any opposition.”
