People are lighting up in smokin' numbers in the Prince George region.
According to provincial statistics, the implications of the World Health Organization's annual No-Tobacco Day hit hardest right here where almost 23 per cent of people still smoke, compared to the province-wide average of 15 per cent.
Combating that is a team of local health professionals who spent Tuesday, the worldwide day of focus on the health effects of tobacco, as they do almost every day: promoting a healthy lifestyle.
On World No-Tobacco Day, Laura Johnston joined with other healthy lifestyle advocates at a tent at Spruceland Mall. She is the regional tobacco reduction co-ordinator for Northern Health, and helped drive home the holistic health message linked to the city's Bike To Work Week initiative.
Reducing the use of tobacco in Prince George is a year-round challenge, said Johnston.
In 2008, Northern Health had the highest rate in B.C. of hospitalizations for conditions related to tobacco at 791 per 100,000 residents, and the highest estimated mortality rates for tobacco-related conditions such as cancer, pulmonary and cardiovascular at 126 per 100,000 residents.
By comparison, the hospitalization rate was 449 per 100,000 and the mortality rate was 79 per 100,000 in Vancouver Coastal Health, home to the lowest rates in the province.
What really has an effect are programs like the Nicotine Intervention Counselling Centre (NICC) and QuitNow.
"We are the only health authority in B.C. that has a program like this [NICC]," said Johnston. "It is based [on] the Mayo Clinic, so it is very sound and very evidence-based. We are doing great things in the North."
NICC is founded on the principle that addiction is too powerful for most people to handle alone. Their research showed only five per cent of those addicted to tobacco can successfully quit the drug without outside aid.
The program maps out a set of counselling and nicotine-replacement tools as part of one-on-one meetings a smoker can get for free from Northern Health. Call 250-565-7344 to join or get information.
The local office also gets the message out to youth by focusing on sports, like the Hockey Yes - Tobacco No campaign and similar ones with rodeo, basketball, dance, motor sports and others.
"It's to show that you can be a fit, strong, successful person involved in sports without tobacco," said Johnston. "The two don't mix. Tobacco does not enhance your athletic performance, it doesn't help your fitness goals."
SMOKE SIGNALS OF SUCCESS
Northern Health has implemented a local pilot site for a national program to reduce smoking among high school students.
"Tobacco has been shown to be a gateway drug," Johnston said. "It is not the drug itself that makes it so, but it is a clear indication of risk behaviour. If the underlying causes are not addressed that will often turn into alcohol use, other drug use, other behaviours that make their lives more difficult or unhealthy later."
It is called Quit For Life and has been set up at a pair of Quesnel secondary schools for the past three years.
"It has been incredibly successful, based on how many sign up for the program, how many complete the program, and the results we've seen longer-term," said Laura Johnston, Northern Health's regional tobacco reduction co-ordinator. "We track those people who participated for six months to be able to know what their tobacco use status is."
Smokers in their teen years can sign up for the program if they wish to quit smoking. It takes 12 weeks to complete.
- Year One: 34 students started.
Of the students that completed the 12-week program, 24 per cent were still tobacco-free after six months.
- Year Two: 36 students started.
Of the students that completed the 12-week program, 35 per cent were still tobacco-free after 6 months.
- Year Three: The program is just wrapping up so the stats are not available yet.
