Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the information the Member points out is indeed accurate. In the Northwest Territories, unfortunately, we are leading in a lot of the categories that involve tobacco and in tobacco use. The department has been working on a tobacco cessation strategy in dealing with how we can reduce the smoking rates in the Northwest Territories. We have, and I have been informed by the department, worked with Education, Culture and Employment in this area because we see that trying to address the issue of smoking starts at a young age as the stats show that we have a lot of young people who begin smoking at a very early age. Initially, through the first years, we do not see a lot of problems but, as the Member stated, it is in the later years of life that difficulties come up. A lot of people relate the problems of smoking to such things as lung cancer but, in fact, smoking goes a lot farther than that in the effects on the human body. We are hoping to put a strategy out here in the very near future and start going out throughout the territory informing young people and elders alike with the concerns of smoking. Not only the smoke itself but the second-hand effects of smoke on young children. We need to look at how we can change our attitudes in the Northwest Territories as to how we treat our own bodies and those around us with the impacts of smoking. Hopefully, we will be able to start getting that message out in the very near future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Floyd Roland on Question 15-13(8): Tobacco Addiction Among Northerners
In the Legislative Assembly on September 8th, 1999. See this statement in context.
Return To Question 15-13(8): Tobacco Addiction Among Northerners
Question 15-13(8): Tobacco Addiction Among Northerners
Item 6: Oral Questions
September 7th, 1999
Page 28
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