While smoking rates have declined across Ontario to about 19 percent of the general population, young people use tobacco at a higher rate.

UWindsor biology professor Lisa Porter, a cancer researcher, is one of three speakers addressing this issue at Trash the Ash! Cancer Talk 2011: Tobacco, the first in this year’s Schulich Windsor Health Lecture Series. The free public event will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 26, in the Hangar on the St. Clair College campus.

Joining Dr. Porter are David Hammond of the University of Waterloo and Joanne Dinardo of the Canadian Cancer Society.

The lecture series is a project of students at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry – Windsor Program. The goal is to bring monthly health-oriented informal talks by the faculty physicians to the local community.

“In a medically underserved community such as Windsor, a powerful weapon against sickness can simply be health and medical education,” says med student Brian Nhan. “Many of our lectures, varying from smoking cessation to disease processes to medical ethics, would be of great interest to the general public.”

Lecture attendees may enter a draw to win an iPad2. For more information, please visit www.swhls.com or e-mail contact@swhls.com.