Critics' Choice 2008: May 31 - September 26
An innovative anti-tobacco teaching tool run in schools.
Critics’ Choice is an exciting resource for schools aimed at encouraging primary and secondary students to watch, critique and discuss 12 anti-tobacco TV commercials from Australia and overseas.
After watching the television commercials, students are asked to grade them and choose the one they think would be most likely to stop them taking up smoking, or encourage them to quit.
Critics’ Choice 2008 will run in schools from World No Tobacco Day-May 31, 2008 to the end of term 3 - September 26 2008 with 12 new anti-tobacco commercials.
Registration forms were distributed to all schools in March.
Once registered, a Critics’ Choice Kit will be forwarded before World No Tobacco Day, May 31st 2008.
Critics’ Choice is available on an all inclusive interactive DVD.
To register, please email
shounslow@quitsa.org.au with your name, the name of your school and how many students will be participating.
'Why not run Critic's Choice on World No Tobacco Day, May 31st 2008 and take advantage of the additional lesson activities included on the Critics' Choice DVD?'
Critics' Choice 2007 Results
The Critics’ Choice 2007 was once again a complete success. 413 upper primary and secondary schools registered for the Critics’ Choice 2007 with 37,163 students participating. 12,857 students sent back their grading sheets and 163 teachers completed the evaluation forms.
By participating in the Critics’ Choice, students watched, critiqued and discussed 12 anti-tobacco commercials from Australia and Overseas. Support notes around tobacco smoking as well as lesson ideas for both primary and secondary accompanied the commercials with the aim of providing a starting point for discussion between teachers and students.
After critically analysing the commercials, students completed the grading sheets to enter the competition and chose the commercial they thought was most effective in either preventing them from taking up smoking or helping them give up.
A random prize draw included one student winning an iPod, nine students winning iTune vouchers and three teachers winning $100 sports vouchers for their schools. The 2007 winners are:
iPod winner
Daniel: Trinity College North School
$20 iTune voucher winners
- Jack: St Michaels College
- Ellie: Black Forest Primary
- Lucy: Caritas College
- Jack: Ridgehaven Primary School
- Jad: Hallett Cove South Primary School
- Jasmine: LeFevre Peninsula Primary School
- Lejla: Modbury Primary School
- Matthew: Woodcroft College
- Renee: Pedare Christian College
$100 Sports Voucher winners
- Michelle Young: Southern Montessori School
- Graham McConnell: Port Lincoln Primary School
Lynda Luyten: Smithfield Plains School
In addition to providing their winning votes, students were also asked ‘why is the commercial they chose a winner?’ Some of the responses included:
- ‘Because it’s good and I think it would scare people off smoking’
- ‘Because it makes me feel sick’
- ‘Because it showed all the cancers you can get from smoking’
- ‘Because it shows what happens to your body’
- ‘Because it shows how gross smoking is’
- ‘It makes you cringe, it’s scary’
- ‘Because it shows what happens, it’s disgusting and it makes you want to never smoke!’
- ‘Because it shows the brutal effects’
- ‘It gave a lot of information and just scared to put a smoke in my mouth’
- ‘Because it was very effective and I would never smoke after watching it’
Big congratulations to all of the Critics’ Choice winners for 2007!
For more information please contact:
Sally Hounslow (nee: Martin)
Smarter than Smoking Project SA - Prevention Project Officer
Phone 8291 4143
Fax 8291 4194
Email
shounslow@quitsa.org.au
Schools & Youth 
