RANKIN INLET/KIVALLIQ - A group of Kivalliq youth were in Rankin Inlet to learn how to help others quit tobacco this past week.

The tobacco-reduction workshop was funded through Health and Social Services.

Rankin health worker Yvonne Aggark-Tautu said she was excited to host the Kivalliq segment in Rankin.

She said every initiative helps when it comes to getting more youth to butt out.

"The program, of course, primarily targets youth," said Aggark-Tautu.

"With our segment, we focused mainly on a train-the-trainer workshop. We had 13 kids from seven Kivalliq communities and, hopefully, they can go back to their home communities and help others kick the tobacco habit."

Facilitator Rob Collins of Montreal said he was impressed with the youths he worked with.

He said Health and Social Services received federal money to set up a workshop in each Nunavut region.

"We did the Baffin and Kitikmeot before finishing in the Kivalliq this past week," said Collins.

"We had two youth from each community (one from Baker) trained as tobacco educators to go back to their community and educate friends on the dangers of tobacco. We provide them with the resources, training and practice to prepare them for what they'll have to do back in their own classrooms."

Collins said most people know tobacco is bad, but don't realize just how bad.

He said students can be stunned to learn there's more than 130 diseases associated with tobacco, and it's one of the biggest causes of preventable death and disability in the North.

"We're talking about youth, so sometimes even that doesn't get them, but, when they see it causes things like premature wrinkling, things start to sink in because that makes a big impact. There's all sorts of ways of getting the message across and this program seems to be reasonably affective."

Collins said the program accepts smokers and non-smokers.

He said with the smoking population being close to 80 per cent in some areas of the North, it would be almost impossible to hold workshops with all non-smoking youths.

"That high number also applies to those who are not yet smokers because, with that rate of smoking, chances are extremely high they're about to become smokers. Working with youth is such a key point because they're the permission givers. They can influence other people's ideas about not starting to smoke, and that's a big point of the program."

Collins said workshop participants don't lay a heavy trip on smokers.

He said some young smokers become the best participants in the workshop.

"We don't exclude smokers from the workshop because, basically, we don't want to lose those people. We don't pressure anyone in the workshop to quit, but we see a lot of joy on their behalf when they decide to quit smoking on their own.

"We had three in the Kivalliq workshop say they were quitting."

Collins said many smokers have to make numerous attempts before they become tobacco-free.

He said often about 50 per cent of smokers who attend the workshop try to quit and the majority are successful.

"When it comes to educating youth on how to convey the anti-smoking message when they go home, the first thing we teach them is not to be self-righteous, especially the non-smokers. They tend to be acknowledged, rewarded and empowered for being non-smokers, but that won't get other smokers to listen to them."

"Smoking has become a normal part of Northern culture and we want to change that culture."

Grade 10 student Veronica Tuktudjuk, 15, said the cost of smoking is one thing that made an impression on her during the workshop.

She said it makes you think when you realize a youth who smokes three packs a week in the North, could have used that money to purchase a laptop and a good digital camera in just six months.

"I've come to look at smoking as a disgusting habit," said Tuktudjuk.

"I'm originally from Repulse Bay, but I live in Chesterfield Inlet now. "And I'm looking forward to telling my friends who smoke about what I learned, and encouraging them to quit."

Tuktudjuk said she's seen kids in Repulse and Chester, about nine years old, going around (cigarette) butt picking so they can smoke.

"I'd try to tell them they shouldn't do that, but they would just tell me they didn't care and to leave them alone.

"Nine-year-old kids butt picking is pretty scary."

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