Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize World No Tobacco Day tomorrow, May 31, 2008. This day provides us with an opportunity to acknowledge the many activities aimed at the prevention and cessation of tobacco use in which the Government of the Northwest Territories has invested. These actions will create long-term benefits for Northerners and will help them make healthy and productive lifestyle choices.
Since 2002 the GNWT has made tobacco reduction a priority, and we have invested significant resources into tobacco use reduction, focusing particularly on youth and community-based programs. Since the implementation of the communications strategy and anti-tobacco legislation two years ago, vendors have been found to be compliant with the law requiring all tobacco products be hidden from view of the public. There has been one conviction and several warnings since the implementation of this legislation.
We have been guided by the 2002 Action on Tobacco strategy and informed by the report Smoke Alarm, which demonstrated the urgent need to take immediate and prolonged action to reduce the rate of smoking in the Northwest Territories and to prevent youth from starting smoking.
This year’s World No Tobacco Day theme highlights tobacco-free youth. In line with this theme, I want to take a moment to reflect on the progress we have made towards our goal of creating a smoke-free society by celebrating those youth who are leading us into a smoke-free future. We believe the commitments made by youth in the prevention campaigns such as the Don’t Be A Butthead campaign. School-based prevention activities, the introduction of workplace smoking bans and territorial tobacco control legislation, alongside other tobacco reduction programs, are making a difference.
The 2006 NWT School Tobacco Survey shows that the number of young smokers between grades 5 to 9 has declined significantly from more than 17 per cent in 2002 to 12 per cent in 2006. The rate of smoking among aboriginal youth has declined the most, down to 17 per cent from 25 per cent. While this rate is still too high, it demonstrates that progress is being made, but we need to continue our work in this important area.
I’d also like to announce that each year the Butthead campaign recruits youth to be smoke free. All youth who sign up are entered into a contest, and winners are chosen randomly. This year’s winners of an iPod nano are Logan Drader, age 11, of Norman Wells; Cheyanne Andre, age 9, of Tsiigehtchic; Evan Tordiff, age 11, of Fort Smith; Tameika Steinwand, age 8, of Behchoko; and Dalton Simba, age 11, of Kakisa Lake.
This year we have 400 new youths and 1,400 youths who have recommitted to remain smoke-free. We have expanded the Butthead campaign this year by encouraging 200 NWT Arctic Winter Games athletes to sign lifetime commitments.
A pan-territorial initiative called Smoke Screening brought 12 anti-tobacco ads from around the world to the NWT, where they were viewed by NWT youth in grades 6 to 12 who voted based on what they thought to be the most effective. The winning ad will be shown on northern television in the fall.
We continue to invest in preventing tobacco use in our youth, with our payoff being a healthy, vibrant population free from the devastating effects of tobacco.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
