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From http://www.cbc.ca/cp/health/070125/x012515A.html

Ontario targets aboriginal youth to reduce smoking rates among teens

Thursday, January 25, 2007 - Canadian Press: KEITH LESLIE

TORONTO (CP) - The number of aboriginal youth in Canada who smoke is three to four times higher than those of non-aboriginal teens, but the federal government is not helping Ontario's efforts to curb their tobacco use, Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson said Thursday.

Statistics from a 2003 Canada-wide survey found 61 per cent of aboriginal girls between ages 15 and 17 smoke, compared with the provincial average of 15 per cent, while 47 per cent of aboriginal boys smoke, compared with 13 per cent of non-aboriginal males in the same age group.

Other figures from Health Canada show the majority of aboriginal adults smoke, and that 52 per cent of them picked up the habit between the ages of 13 and 16.

Watson said Ontario's smoke-free strategy is being hindered by the federal government's refusal to stop reserves from passing their own bylaws allowing smoking.

"The feds indicated they're not prepared to take action to allow enforcement of these kinds of laws, which is regrettable," Watson said.

"The challenge we face is that this is larger than simply a health issue - it's a constitutional issue."

Dr. Malcolm King of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research said aboriginal youth smoking rates are a concern, and suggested the teens themselves would be the best ones to devise a public awareness campaign to help their peers kick the habit.

King also said Ontario would be wise to stick to its plan to work with aboriginal communities and forget about trying to get Ottawa to enforce a smoking ban on reserves.

"It's probably going to be more rewarding to work with First Nations and convince them to take the action that they need rather than externally imposing regulations," King said from Edmonton.

"From what I've seen, those kinds of approaches don't generally work that well."

Watson visited an aboriginal health centre in downtown Toronto on Thursday to announce a public awareness campaign that will target young aboriginals with radio spots as well as pamphlets and posters in five languages.

"One of the things that we have not done a good job of in the past is communicating in the language of the people we're trying to reach," he said.

"The federal government could be more co-operative, but at the end of the day, if we can't get their co-operation we will work with First Nations and aboriginal communities, like we are with this program."

Fiona Blondin of Anishinawbe Health Toronto said aboriginal teenagers need to be made aware of the dangers of tobacco and second-hand smoke.

"Our experience leads us to believe that there's a real overwhelming need in our community for prevention and for campaigns that focus in on prevention," Blondin said.

Dan Waboose, who performed a traditional drum ceremony at Watson's announcement, noted aboriginals have a long history of using tobacco in ceremonies, but said young people shouldn't confuse those spiritual uses with the abuse of commercial tobacco products.

"Modern cigarettes are filled with many, many toxins and poisons," Waboose said.

"It's important that we teach our people about tobacco."

The government says tobacco-related diseases cost the Ontario health-care system at least $1.7 billion annually.

Dr. John McLaughlin of Cancer Care Ontario said the public awareness campaign will be a critical step towards convincing young aboriginals about the dangers of smoking.

"This plan and the communities of aboriginal people have really helped to define new ways of thinking about the problem and helping us to deal with it," McLaughlin said.

"The use of commercial tobacco is the cause of more preventable deaths than anything else."

Tobacco companies complain they've been losing business to illegal cigarette sales, and say almost all black-market smokes sold in Canada are manufactured on aboriginal reserves.

Watson said Ontario has taken "a much more aggressive stand" in cracking down on illegal cigarette sales and manufacturing on reserves, "but clearly we still have a challenge with tobacco leaving the reserve and illegal tobacco products."

Ontario is also organizing an aboriginal tobacco strategy youth summit in Toronto in March to develop action plans to fight smoking.