SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - An expert on addiction has come to speak to residents about the dangers of smoking for National Non-Smoking Week.

A tobacco recovery group is one of the events taking place this week for National Non-Smoking Week. - Ian Vaydik/NNSL photo illustration

"This is a profound addiction," said Dr. Murray Kelly, director of Tobacco Healing Centre located near Ottawa. "It is the number one preventable cause of death in Canada and over 500,000 North Americans are going to die of it this year."

As part of the national week Dr. Kelly is hosting a tobacco recovery group every night of the week at the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre.

The national event was established in 1977 by Canadian Council for Tobacco Control mainly to educate Canadians about the dangers of smoking.

"We have to find ways and mechanisms for people in the north to get into recovery, for mom and dad, grandma and grandpa to get into recovery so that the children pick this up as a primary coping tool."

Kelly is also travelling to all the middle schools in Yellowknife during the week to speak to students about the subject.

"My approach is when we talk about tobacco we don't shame people who are addicted," said Kelly. "So when we speak to the children about it we don't project it as the people who smoke as bad. In fact I have a saying, tobacco is harmful because of what it does to us not because of what it does for us."

Kelly also applauded the territorial government's Don't be a Butthead campaign which targets youth to abstain from smoking.

"It's a very good program, it raises awareness and it helps the children become keen and sharply focused on it," he said.

The campaign was launched in May 2004 and is aimed at getting eight to 14-year-olds to commit to remain smoke-free. The program targets kids who haven't started smoking and gives reasons as to why they shouldn't start.

Part of Kelly's visit was to look at starting a tobacco healing centre in Yellowknife.

"If we can get tobacco recovery treatment into a community and into a family system the chances of those children and grandchildren living free lives without addictions are much much greater," he said.

Byrne Richards, an addictions counsellor at the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre is already looking to national non-smoking week in 2012.

"It our goal to have Murray back next year," said Richards. "The tree of peace in what we do we're consistent and we are continue to deliver consistent messaging around prevention and awareness."

Anti-smoking posters have been placed on street posts down Franklin Avenue in conjunction with National Non-Smoking Week. Each poster features a reason why an NWT resident decided to quit smoking. They were posted by the Department of Health in partnership with the health authorities in Yellowknife and Hay River.

Also this week all pharmacies in Yellowknife are giving away "quit kits" for free with information on how to quit smoking and items to assist in the process.

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