World No Tobacco Day is aimed at drawing global attention to the widespread use of cigarettes and tobacco and the proven negative health effects of smoking. In Canada, many people were focused on educating the general public on the prevalence of cigarette addiction within the Inuit and First Nations communities.
Staggering Smoking Statistics
Smoking is the number one cause of preventable disease and death in the province of Ontario. Smoking-related illnesses kill 16,000 Ontarians every year and tobacco-related diseases cost this province’s economy minimum $1.7 billion for health care every year.
Cigarette smoke kills 47,000 Canadians each year. The death rate from tobacco use (directly or indirectly) is four times higher than death caused from AIDS, traffic accidents, suicide, fires, and accidental poisoning combined. It is rapidly becoming the number one killer among the First Nation and Inuit communities.
Inuit and First Nations Cigarette Addiction
In Canada’s north, National Inuit Leader Mary Simon brought attention to the severe damage cigarettes are causing to the Inuit. In a speech, the Inuit leader stated that cigarette addiction is distinctly different in the Arctic. She quoted studies that states two-thirds of Inuit in Canada are smokers. The recent Inuit Child Health Survey discovered that more than 80% of Inuit women in Nunavut smoke during pregnancy. Ms. Simon asserted in her speech, “Another study says 85% of infants in Nunavut’s capital are exposed to smoke while in the womb.”
Tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable death in First Nations communities with mortality and morbidity related to tobacco use being very high. Compared to the rest of Canada, the number of First Nations and Inuit smokers is exceptionally high. The rate of First Nations youth who smoke is by far greater than non-First Nations individuals. According to the National Natives Addictions Partnership Foundation some estimates indicate half of all Canadian children try smoking by the time they are twelve years old. Many reports indicate that First Nations children try smoking as early as eight years old.
Recent statistics released by the Canadian Pediatric Society indicate that the rate of smoking among First Nations people in Canada is still approximately three times the rate for the general Canadian population. Among 15 to 17 year old adolescents, the rate of smoking among boys and girls is still three times the national rate. 70 percent of Inuit aged 18 to 45 years old are current smokers.
In her World No Tobacco Day 2010 speech, Mary Simon stated, “Second-hand smoke is a significant challenge in Inuit communities, given the long, cold winters that keep us indoors for extended periods, the severe overcrowding in our homes and our very high smoking rates.” Ms. Simon was mindful in recognizing that this year’s World No Tobacco Day 2010 is not about casting judgment on smokers. She asserted, “It is about providing the tools that Inuit need to take control of their health and their lives. It is about empowerment.”
Task Force Created
In recognition of this day, a task force was set up to promote Inuit-specific, culturally affirming and community-empowering initiatives to reduce the use of tobacco among Inuit.
Sources:
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
National Natives Addictions Partnership Foundation
Use and misuse of tobacco among Aboriginal peoples: Pediatric Child Health 2006;11(10):681-5 (Revised: April 2010)
National Inuit Leader President's Speech: World No Tobacco Day
Karen Stephenson - Karen has written for several newspapers and print media in addition to many online publications. She holds a B.A. in English and an ...
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