First Nations and Inuit Tobacco Control
Second Hand Smoke (SHS) - Labels

Background

(Source: 2004 Baseline Study Among First Nations (On-Reserve) and Inuit, Environics Research Group Limited, April 2004).

A. Smoking Behaviour in March 2004:

• First Nations and Inuit people in Canada have a higher incidence of cigarette use.
• Smoking is more than double the rate of smoking within the Canadian population.
• Lower socioeconomic status corresponds to a higher rate of cigarette use.
• Cigarette users start young.
• The majority of current and former First Nations smokers started smoking between the ages of 13 and 16.
• Half of current and former Inuit smokers started smoking at age 14 or younger.

B. Proportion of people who smoke inside the home, March 2004

• Smokers and non-smokers are sensitive to the issue of damage SHS can do to children and are open to behavioral changes.
• Outdoor smoking can resolve SHS problem.
• Need more information concerning the negative aspects of SHS.
• Concerns over SHS is not a top-of-mind health issue.
• When asked about how smoking can harm their health, only about one in six in both populations mentioned problems caused by SHS.
• The proportion of smokers (either family members or visitors) in Inuit households is higher in Nunavut and Nunavik.

Campaign Description

The First Nations and Inuit second-hand smoke campaign, entitled "Labels" was originally delivered in early 2002. The campaign centered around the idea of showing the warning labels found on cigarette packs suddenly appearing in places one would never expect. All material were delivered as a First Nations version in English and French, and an Inuit version in English and Inuktitut

This campaign included the following tactics completed in English, French and Inuktituk:

• full-page print advertisements in Aboriginal weeklies, monthlies and specialty magazines: the inserts included individual health (label on a pregnant woman’s belly - Please Don't Smoke Around Those You Love) and workplace health (label on a waiter’s apron - Is A Smokefree Workplace Too Much To Ask For?);
• two, 30-second radio commercials: one for individual exposure (pregnant woman - Unexpected ) and the other for workplace exposure (waiter - Workplace); and
• 30- and 60-second television commercials: the 60-second ad, Think twice before you light up, speaks generally/broadly to the issue of second-hand smoke and the 30-second ad speaks to individual health/exposure (label on pregnant woman - Cigarettes hurt babies).

In addition, a complimentary and concurrent campaign that targeted the health community, entitled "Doctors", was delivered through direct mail, radio and print advertising.

The November 2002 - January 2003 First Nations and Inuit SHS Workplace campaign ran the apron ad in Print in a bilingual format (versus a separate English and French ad) to coincide with a mainstream workplace campaign.

To coincide with the mainstream Cessation campaign, the First Nations and Inuit campaign ran again in early 2003 with the pregnant woman ad. The lack of cessation resources in the Aboriginal community precluded a First Nations and Inuit Cessation campaign at that time.

As an introduction to an upcoming First Nations and Inuit Cessation campaign, the SHS Labels ad ran again in early 2005 on television and radio, along with a Direct Mail portion. The brochure entitled Second-hand smoke: What you don’t know! was mailed to First Nations households on-reserve and Inuit communities, as well as to band councils, community health centres, nursing stations and friendship centres.

Research Monitoring and Evaluation

April 2002 - Survey on Smoking Behavior, Attitudes And Advertising Recall Among First Nation, Inuit and Métis; telephone survey to Aboriginal respondents - linked with a diabetes survey; POR-02-08/02-25; Ipsos-Reid

June 2003 - Ad Recall Survey of Aboriginal SHS Labels Campaign; telephone survey of 612 on-reserve First Nations adults and 149 Inuit adults; POR-03-04; Environics

March 2004 - 2004 Baseline Study Among First Nations On-reserve and Inuit in the North; telephone interviews with a representative sample of 700 First Nations people living on a reserve and 200 Inuit living in the North between the ages of 18 and 45; POR 03-66; Environics

Summary Information