Smoking prevalence in the Canadian Arctic

Two recent surveys of adults and of children in the Canadian Arctic obtained information on smoking behaviour. By age nineteen, 71% of Inuit youth were current smokers compared to 63% of Dene/Métis youth and 43% of the Non-Native. Within each ethnic group, the general pattern of higher smoking rates among girls in almost all age groups was apparent. Inuit girls age 15-19 had the highest smoking rates. Seventy seven percent reported that they were current cigarette smokers. Of all adolescent regular smokers, about 12% smoked more than 15 cigarettes per day. However, among Non-Native youth the percentage increased to 23%. Among both boys and girls, the frequency of smoking was highest among Non-Native youth, intermediate among Dene/Métis youth and lowest among the Inuit. In each ethnic group boys were more likely than girls to smoke over 15 cigarettes per day. Adult smoking rates in the Arctic were higher than rates in the national population. Inuit adults had the highest smoking rates, followed by the Dene and the Non-Native groups. Men and women in each of the ethnic groups in the Northwest Territories had higher smoking rates than their counterparts in the national population.