1999-2000 Annual Review, August 2000
Tobacco Reduction
Smoking rates among Aboriginal people are extremely high compared to the Canadian
average. Studies show that 32% of the overall Canadian population are regular
smokers, compared to 62% among First Nations and 72% among the Inuit. A Community
Programs (CP) Directorate survey of smoking among First Nations youth also
confirmed that the rate is twice as high as among their non-Aboriginal peers.
A five-year $2.78 million Tobacco Control Initiative was launched in 1998/99
to support First Nations and Inuit with programming efforts focused on prevention,
education and awareness of the dangers of the non-traditional use of tobacco,
especially among First Nations and Inuit youth. Among the projects funded and
supported was a Assembly First Nations (AFN)-organized national meeting of
Aboriginal youth to discuss a tobacco control strategy aimed at youth. The
CP Directorate also worked on an evaluation of Anirsaattiarniq (Breathing Easy),
a smoking cessation kit for community health workers. Training was provided
to Inuit community health representatives in 1999/2000, and will continue through
2000/2001.
A smoking cessation component to the Aboriginal Youth Network web site, which
includes tracking data on the website's use, was added in 1999/2000. The CP
Directorate also co-sponsored an AFN tobacco event that brought together community
workers from across Canada.
The Directorate also supported the creation of the first three of a planned
series of six broadcasts on the non-traditional use of tobacco for the Aboriginal
Peoples Television Network (APTN). The remaining three programs, which target
Aboriginal youth, will be completed and aired in 2000/2001. Work is continuing
on a broader media campaign that includes public service announcements featuring
the National Chief and Aboriginal youth.
The CP Directorate also participates in the Departmental Tobacco Control Initiative
Steering Committee with other Branches with the aim of securing increased funding
for First Nations and Inuit community-based Tobacco Control initiatives.
2000-2001 Main Activities and Anticipated Outcomes:
- Produce three more tobacco programs for the APTN.
- Continue training health representatives on the Anirsaattiarniq (Breathing Easy) smoking cessation kit.
- Produce and distribute tobacco use public service announcements for broadcast.
- Continue First Nations five-year tobacco control strategy.
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