Kirsten Larsen
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 22/99) - Medical staff and public health officials may find themselves obliged to set a good example and quit smoking in the interest of public health.

A group of NWT Health and Social Services officials are determined to develop a territory-wide strategy to encourage the public to quit smoking. One of the goals is to persuade public health officials and medical staff to set a good example by quitting smoking first.

Dr. Andre Corriveau, who is involved in developing the strategy, said the issue of reducing smoking across the NWT has become a major priority among preventative health initiatives. He said the focus on curbing smoking is based on disturbing statistics which show the percentage of smokers in the NWT is among the highest in Canada.

"It's three times higher," said Corriveau. "It's particularly high in the Inuit population (in the NWT)."

Tobacco use in youth aged 15-19, compiled from statistics gathered in 1993, show that 70 per cent of Inuit youth smoke in comparison to 60 per cent in Dene and Metis populations and 30 per cent in non-aboriginal populations. Smoking is also shown to be more prevalent among 15 to 19-year-olds in the Baffin, Keewatin and Kitikmeot regions.

In the Keewatin, the hamlets have been implementing awareness and action strategies, such as promoting smoke-free homes, to help curb smoking. The Keewatin health board has been following the NWT's development and is eager to get involved in the fight against smoking.

"It (tobacco use) is a drain on financial resources in the communities and we will certainly be supporting the NWT strategy," said Colin Eddie, the board's senior nursing officer.

The strategy is in the early stages of development, but it has already caught the attention of health officials thinking about setting an example for the public.

Ray Scott, CEO of the Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Board, said the strategy has prompted discussion at the regional level.

"We (senior staff) were discussing around the table, and it was said we've got to look at our own ship...in terms of something that can be seen by the public as a positive step. We really feel we have to focus on (health staff) to set an example."

Scott said he knows of several health-care employees in Inuvik who have recently, on their own initiative, been trying to quit the habit.

"Leaders, when they can serve as role models, it's fairly positive," said Corriveau. "It's a hard addiction to kick and when you can see someone, a leader is doing it, it helps. To really be effective, though, we have to add components of support groups." One of the goals of the strategy is to ensure support groups and quit-smoking programs would be set up as services in the communities and also to help employers develop support groups within the work place.