| Barb Tarbox's Legacy | |
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Anti-smoking crusader Barb Tarbox died last month after a battle with lung cancer.
In the short time between her diagnosis in September of 2002, and the tumours which quickly spread throughout her body, Tarbox reached tens of thousands of students across Canada with her blunt message: smoking kills. Her graphic, expressive, and emotional delivery likely changed the lives of countless numbers of people who made decisions to stop smoking, or not to light up in the first place. Tarbox herself had been a smoker for 30 years. In fact, she continued smoking even after her diagnosis, causing some to criticize her intentions. However, even if she had quit back in September, would it really have made a difference? The damage was done, beyond repair. Her life was proof of tobacco's addictive powers and potentially deadly side-effects. The series of powerful ads she made for AADAC will continue to run, and there is a fund to benefit children in her name. But her biggest legacy will be her nine-year-old daughter Mackenzie, who will be a living reminder of Barb's life as she grows up and reaches life's milestones. Just for the record, I don't smoke. And, in part, thanks to Barb Tarbox, I never will.
