October 21, 2010 - From October 15 to November 15, Play, Live, Be Tobacco-Free is inviting 14- to 24-year-olds in Ontario to flex their creative muscle by producing YouTube videos highlighting tobacco-free sport or recreation. Entrants will have a chance to win one of two $1000 iPad grand prize packages.

Video submissions are to be two minutes or less in length and portray a tobacco-free sport or recreational environment, or explain why a sport or recreational activity should be tobacco-free. All video submissions will be uploaded to the contest’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/playlivebe.

"This is a great chance for youth to showcase their creative side and tell the world why tobacco-free sports and recreation is important to them," says Daniel DePeuter, Youth Development Specialist with the Northwest Tobacco Control Area Network. "It’s a really fun contest with such great prizes. We hope our youth really take advantage of it," he adds.

The contest is divided into two age categories: 14-to-17 and 18-to-24. Each group will have the opportunity to win one of two iPad grand prize packages. Prizes are also being offered for second and third place winners in each age category. Entrants can also win prizes for being the first in their age category to submit a video or for having the most popular video based on total views. The top three winners under each age category will be selected by a panel of judges made up of representatives from public health, media and sport and recreation communities.

To encourage participation, school Peer Leaders have been promoting the contest during multi media classes Youth have until the contest end date of November 15 to upload their video.

The Play, Live, Be Tobacco-Free Ontario campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health Promotion’s Healthy Communities Fund that was designed to support community based health promotion initiatives in Ontario.

For information on the video contest, including detailed rules and eligibility visit -www.playlivebetobaccofree.ca.

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