Philippe Morin
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 19, 2007

NUNAVUT - Nunavut's overall smoking rate is above 50 per cent, despite years of steady decline.

That means more than half the territory's population smokes tobacco on a regular basis.

More than one out of every two Nunavummiut is hooked on smoking. - Philippe Morin/NNSL photo -

It's a startling statistic, given that Canada's national rate is less than half this number. Only about one in five adults smoke cigarettes across Canada as a whole.

Amanda Waye, who works at the Qausuittuq Inn in Resolute Bay estimated about 80 per cent of the community smokes.

She said the Inn even has trouble with children picking cigarette butts off the ground, looking for a stray hit of nicotine.

"It's not necessarily about lifestyle or addiction, it's more about boredom," she said, adding the community has posters at the nursing station about the dangers of tobacco.

In Baker Lake, cook Mary Niuqut said she has been smoking since she was 16.

"Everybody smokes here," she said.

She added that Nunavut has a smoking ban, which means people cannot smoke inside the Iglu Hotel where she works.

But while the ban is intended to dissuade smokers, Niuqut said it doesn't always work that way.

In fact, some people actually believe smoking outdoors is healthier, and that somehow being outside will cancel the smoke's ill effects.

"I smoke all the time, so it's good to get some fresh air," she said.

Resolute Bay non-smoker Aziz "Ozzie" Kheraj said the problem starts at a young age.

He said he often sees young children in the community smoking cigarettes.

These are not teenagers, he said, but children in primary school.

"What would make the biggest difference is if kids didn't start smoking at four, five, six, seven years old. By the time they get to 12 years old they're addicted," he said.

"Ideally if the young people don't smoke, you would start to see the rates decline in a few years."

Nunavut also leads Canada in per-capita smoking-related deaths.

Waye said this might serve as a wake-up call for some people.

"I know some people don't smoke because they know someone who died of cancer," she said.