Follow these links to recent samples of SMARTRISK in the news:

General SMARTRISK coverage

SMARTRISK’s Board Chairman, Ned Levitt has begun presenting for No Regrets Live, having lost his own 18-year-old daughter Stacey to a preventable injury. Ned’s presentation to students at his daughters’ former Toronto high school, caught the interest of a number of radio and TV media. See for example, the CTV News video, Accidents involving headphone-wearing pedestrians on the rise. From CITY TV News, see Northern students hear about distracting dangers of headphones. And from CBC Radio’s Metro Morning show, listen to Pedestrian Accidents.

Ned was also part of a pedestrian safety presentation to students and parents at Valley Park Middle School in late January 2012, a couple of months after a mother and daughter, who is a student at the school, were hit and injured by a car when crossing the street. See a clip from a CBC TV newscast or see part of the presentation.

President and CEO Dr. Phil Groff was invited by CBC Radio Syndication to discuss the controversial topic of mandatory helmets on ski hills, after legislation was introduced in Nova Scotia. Dr. Groff was interviewed by 11 CBC Radio afternoon shows across the country in December 2011, from Cape Breton and Halifax through Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, Thunder Bay and Winnipeg, to Vancouver, Victoria, Yellowknife and Whitehorse. Listen to the Vancouver interview.

A Sun Media reporter interviewed Dr. Groff on helping teens learn to take smart risks. The article was picked up by more than a dozen Sun Media outlets across Canada in July 2010. For an example, see Pulling a fast one; Finding the line for kids between daredevil stunts and merely testing the waters is a challenge for parents this summer.

SMARTRISK Ambassadors, the Canadian Forces often present to students about the importance of taking smart risks. Capt. Dan Rossi visited an Alberta school with that message in January 2012 and the local Crowsnest newspapers covered his visit. See Snowbird pilot encourages students to live their dreams.

Dr. Groff has been a guest on TVO programs a couple of times. On Jan. 8, 2009, he was a panellist on an episode of The Agenda, debating risk versus the risks of a nanny state.

Kelowna media have covered SMARTRISK and its programming there extensively, after the death of 21-year-old Andrew Walker in a skateboarding incident. In response to their tragic loss, his family started a memorial foundation in Andrew’s name to bring No Regrets programming to the area. Andrew’s father, Scott Walker has also become a trusted media spokesperson for the issue. For example, see Car surfing leads to tragedy.

Also see High school teams trained in injury prevention program and see A father describes his worst nightmare.
Columnist Lori Welbourne also wrote about SMARTRISK and Andrew.

SMARTRISK No Regrets

Global TV Calgary covered a December 2011 No Regrets Live presentation in a school in which our presenter’s mother works as a teacher. See Helmet Safety

Two SMARTRISK No Regrets schools took the lead in launching a distracted driving campaign in their schools in November 2011.  Listen to radio interviews on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning in Toronto, New Brunswick Morning News on News 91.9 and News 88.9 or CBC Maritime Noon.

The same campaign is also featured on CBC.ca, Fredericton students join distracted driving campaign

A former No Regrets student and current member of our Youth Advisory Team was interviewed, along with our CEO, for Grip, an Alberta youth-focused magazine. See Risk Taking Done Right.

SMARTRISK No Regrets Live was honoured with a Let’s Keep Kids Out of Hospital award by the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, as reported in the Ottawa Citizen.

After a spike in diving-related injuries, CTV News interviewed Blair Williams, a presenter with No Regrets Live.

Canada’s public and social affairs issues channel, iChannel, featured SMARTRISK No Regrets on its @issue 4 teens show in November 2010. Visit http://www.ichannel.ca/issue-4-teens/whats-on-issue-4-teens/ to view the episodes, entitled Risky Business.

The SMARTRISK No Regrets Live show often receives local media coverage. For example, see Students advised to make their risks Smart ones and Students warned to stay safe in The Sudbury Star in May 2010.

SMARTRISK No Regrets Live student teams are often successful at attracting their own media coverage. See Chippewa students show it only takes two seconds to save a life

Research and publications

SMARTRISK’s publication, The Economic Burden of Injury in Canada, and its predecessor provincial and federal documents, are quoted widely by injury practitioners and media. Research and data provided by the Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre are also important research and statistical sources for practitioners, researchers, media and policy makers.

In November 2011, both SMARTRISK and the OIPRC were quoted in a two-part series on falls among seniors and the new iDAPT facility at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. See Rehab Revolution and After the fall.

The national Burden report was quoted in a private member’s bill dealing with sports concussions, as covered by the CBC on Oct. 4, 2011 and Feb. 8, 2011.

SMARTRISK research was even quoted in Alberta during the federal election campaign. See Pundits’ platform: health care

Also see The Canadian Medical Association Journal’s National trauma divide must be narrowed.

For another, see The Hamilton Spectator’s, Trauma rises with warmer weather; ‘A lot of people think they’re invincible,’ surgeon says.

Or see Durham health department encourages safety when renovating in Whitby This Week in March 2010.