Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is Weedless Wednesday during National Non-Smoking Week. I would like to make use of this opportunity to recognize the work that is being done so that our territory can eventually become a smoke-free society.
Mr. Speaker, there are numerous examples of people and communities working to a common goal of a smoke-free society:
- • A growing number of NWT communities have now enacted progressive smoking bylaws that protect their residents against the health risks of secondhand smoke;
- • Citizens, tobacco action groups and community health professionals have come together to help raise awareness of tobacco issues;
- • Schools are teaching about tobacco addiction in their health curriculum;
- • The 2nd annual Quit and Win contest, sponsored by the NWT/Nunavut branch of the Canadian Public Health Association, provides incentive for people to try quitting; and,
- • through the groundbreaking action of the Workers' Compensation Board of the NWT and Nunavut, workplaces will soon be smoke free.
It is important to continue this work, Mr. Speaker, because recent statistics show we still have a long way to go. For example, almost half of NWT youth between the ages of 15 and 17 smoke and the average age when children start to smoke is 12 or 13.
If we are to reduce these alarmingly high rates of smoking in our youth, it is clear that we must take action to reach children before they start smoking. We must convince children to make the decision to stay smoke free. That is the age group that needs to hear our message the most. If we can create a smoke-free generation of youth today, Mr. Speaker, they will become tomorrow's smoke-free generation of adults.
With this in mind, Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services is working with Education, Culture and Employment on a communications strategy that targets children between the ages of eight and 14. The aim of this strategy is prevention: finding ways to encourage our children to remain smoke-free. The strategy will roll out over the next two years.
In addition, Mr. Speaker, students across the North are taking part in an initiative called Smoke Screening. Students from grades 6 to 12 are watching a dozen of the best anti-tobacco ads from around the world. Some are funny, others are shocking and still others are very sad. Students vote on the ad they like the best, and the most popular ad will be aired on local TV. This initiative is designed to get young people thinking and talking about what smoking does to their bodies.
Mr. Speaker, I met with Heather Crowe last week. As Members may know, Ms. Crowe is dying of cancer from secondhand smoke. Although she was never a smoker herself, she developed lung cancer because of other people smoking around her at her place of work.
Her dedication to the fight against tobacco is commendable. She has set a great example for the rest of us, and provides a powerful reminder of why we need to take action against smoking. It is estimated that secondhand smoke kills 3,600 Canadians every year. It is time to change that.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services is proposing tobacco legislation that will complement the Workers' Compensation Board's regulations banning smoking in the workplace, and to back up community, regional and territorial efforts to create a smoke-free society.
It is important the Members of this House support these efforts, Mr. Speaker. Our communities look to the leadership demonstrated in this Assembly to reinforce their grassroots actions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause