Positive prevention
Education that hits the mark. For the past six years, Jón Jónsson, a musician par excellence, has visited every Year 8 pupil in Hafnarfjörður. This year will be no different, and visits to the primary schools will take place this January.
For the past six years, Jón Ragnar Jónsson, a musician par excellence, has visited every Year 8 pupil in Hafnarfjörður. This year will be no exception, and visits to the primary schools will take place this January. The visit is part of the municipality's smokeless tobacco prevention programme.
Education that hits the mark
The Cancer Society of Hafnarfjörður has for years worked on preventing tobacco use among children and young people. The year 2010 marked a turning point, as the smoking prevention programmes were yielding highly visible results, but at the same time, children's use of smokeless tobacco was at a record high. The focus was therefore shifted to oral tobacco prevention, and the association worked with the Hafnarfjörður prevention officer to develop a new project in line with the latest information on positive prevention. Promotional material was created that was intended to appeal to teenagers, and the musician Jón Ragnar Jónsson was hired to work on the project's implementation. For the last six years, Jón has visited all Year 9 pupils in Hafnarfjörður, and the initiative has been extremely well received by both teachers and the pupils themselves. Research by Rannsóknir og greining (Research and Analysis) shows that Year 9 pupils generally lead very healthy lives. The project, which is based on positive and constructive prevention, encourages them to continue choosing a healthy lifestyle. To date, the Cancer Society has used its own funds and other sources of funding to finance this project. This year, the City of Hafnarfjörður is supporting the Cancer Society with the funding.
Jón is a good role model for Hafnarfjörður.
Jón Ragnar is, at heart, an ordinary young man from Hafnarfjörður who, in our opinion, is an excellent role model. Jón Ragnar is cheerful and entertaining, has plenty to say and connects well with the children. He visits every Year 9 class; the children aren't gathered in a hall, which allows for a more personal connection and makes it easier for them to chat with him. It is desirable for the teacher to be present and to use the discussions and the topics that arise later in life skills lessons. It is estimated that over the last five years, Jón has therefore met with around 1,750 8th-grade pupils in Hafnarfjörður, managing to convey a message and key points about a healthy lifestyle.