Barb Tarbox
Encyclopedia
Barb Tarbox, MSM was one of the most well-known anti-smoking
activists
in Canada; a life-long smoker dying of brain and lung cancers whose very open and frank discussions of her illness, its cause and its consequences, propelled her to the Canadian national stage. During the last months of Tarbox's life she went around Canada
teaching young adults
the consequences of smoking. Perhaps most memorably, she emphasized how she was unable to quit smoking even after she found out that she had cancer
.
Tarbox died at a hospital in Edmonton on May 18, 2003 at the age of 42 from brain cancer and lung cancer
.
On December 5, 2003, Barb Tarbox was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal of Canada
by Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson
, Governor General of Canada
, for devotion to the anti-smoking cause. The decoration was accepted in Ottawa
by her daughter, Mackenzie.
"Barb's Miracle", a book by Greg Southam and David Staples, chronicles the last days of Tarbox's life.
On December 30, 2010, the Government of Canada unveiled tougher anti-smoking images on their cigarette packaging including one image which features Barb Tarbox during her last days.
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
activists
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
in Canada; a life-long smoker dying of brain and lung cancers whose very open and frank discussions of her illness, its cause and its consequences, propelled her to the Canadian national stage. During the last months of Tarbox's life she went around Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
teaching young adults
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
the consequences of smoking. Perhaps most memorably, she emphasized how she was unable to quit smoking even after she found out that she had cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Tarbox died at a hospital in Edmonton on May 18, 2003 at the age of 42 from brain cancer and lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
.
On December 5, 2003, Barb Tarbox was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal of Canada
Meritorious Service Decoration (Canada)
The Meritorious Service Decorations , available in two forms as the Meritorious Service Cross and the Meritorious Service Medal , are Canadian decorations awarded to those who have demonstrated an outstanding level of service or set an exemplary standard of...
by Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Louise Clarkson is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation....
, Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
, for devotion to the anti-smoking cause. The decoration was accepted in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
by her daughter, Mackenzie.
"Barb's Miracle", a book by Greg Southam and David Staples, chronicles the last days of Tarbox's life.
On December 30, 2010, the Government of Canada unveiled tougher anti-smoking images on their cigarette packaging including one image which features Barb Tarbox during her last days.