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Breaking the cigarette habit

Erika Sherk
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 22/06) - "I think it's gross," said Kathleen Stroeder, 19, with a shudder.

She's talking about smoking. And now young people across the country are starting to agree with her.

There are fewer and fewer young smokers in the provinces, according to a recently released Health Canada survey.

Though smoking rates are generally higher in the North, health professionals say the numbers are dropping here as well.

"We think we are making momentum downwards," said Dr. Andre Corriveau, chief medical health officer for the NWT. Campaigns and programs like "Don't be a butthead" and "Blast" have been around since 2002.

That was the last time a comprehensive smoking survey was done in the territories.

"It was to find a base line of where things were at," said Corriveau.

Four years later, a new youth smoking survey is in the works, to be completed in the spring.

Miriam Wideman is the health promotions specialist for the NWT.

She is heavily involved in the anti-smoking campaigns targeting youth.

There are a number of reasons young people smoke, she said.

Looking cool and imitating friends are some.

That is the reason Michael LeBlanc gives for his smoking habit.

Now 16, he started smoking when he was 14.

"All my friends smoked," he said, a smouldering cigarette in his hand.

Now, he thinks he'll probably quit one day.

"It's stupid and pointless," he said, calling the price of cigarettes "ridiculous."

Standing nearby on the sidewalk, Craig Dryneck, 17, said he quit smoking a year ago, after a seven- year addiction.

"I was having trouble breathing. It sucks, it gives you lung cancer."

Like Dryneck, more youth are quitting, and less are starting to smoke, according to the recently released Health Canada survey.

From 1994-2005, the number of students in grades five to nine who tried smoking dropped 50 per cent.

Wideman and Corriveau both expect to see similar results when the upcoming NWT survey is completed.

The most recent surveys show that from 2001-2005 the number of youth 12-19 who smoke dropped 16.1 per cent.

Teens like Stroeder must be encouraging for officials.

"I'll never smoke," she said emphatically, "I think it's super-bad for you."