Kent Driscoll
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Jan 23/06) - Peer pressure works for good causes, too. That is what school kids around the territory are counting on as they try to convince their peers to quit smoking.

The Minister's Youth Action Team on Tobacco painted anti-smoking messages around Iqaluit recently. - photo courtesy of Minister's Youth Action Team on Tobacco

The Minister's Youth Action Team on Tobacco were out in full force during national non-smoking week last week. They want to convince youth not to light up talking directly to other youth.

They shot a five-minute DVD that is being sent to schools all over the territory. It features the action team spray painting 130 black snow angels around Iqaluit. The number of angels matches the number of people who die each day in Canada from tobacco related illness.

Grade 11 student Kelly Karpik of Kimmirut is reformed smoker. She attended the conference at the end of last year and came back home ready to change the ways of her classmates.

"There are lots of kids that smoke at my school, usually around the front. It isn't hard to get cigarettes here," said Karpik. "When you know people who are 19, it is just like any other small community. Some will say no (if you ask them to buy smokes for a minor) and some say yes."

Karpik quit smoking last year on Jan. 28. "It cost too much and when I was doing spots I was really tired," said Karpik.

She has a solid argument: a pack of cigarettes is $14.36 in Kimmirut.

Kelly Loubert is working for the department of health and social services as their tobacco reduction specialist. Along with sending out the DVDs, the department has a new stop smoking logo for the week.

It features a beluga and a narwhal surrounding a lit cigarette. The tusk of the narwhal crosses out the smoke, like a traditional non-smoking icon.

"The white beluga (featured on the top) is above the addiction and has clean lungs. The narwhal is addicted and underneath, but his tusk shows he is trying to quit," said Loubert.

She was hosting anti-smoking meetings at Iqaluit schools and at the women's shelter, but said other communities are joining in.

"Baker Lake is doing some work and Rankin Inlet is doing some great work with a quit and win contest," said Loubert. "There is work being done all over the territory, on local radio and in schools," said Loubert.