Engaging Aboriginal youth in tobacco control insights for cancer - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Engaging Aboriginal youth in tobacco control

insights for cancer prevention

Engaging Aboriginal youth makes good sense

• Because 75% of youth in these regions are smokers
• Are one of the largest demographic groups in their communities
• Smoking is single biggest preventable cause of disease & death
• Inuit have highest rates of lung cancer worldwide,

with one in three deaths due to smoking

Rob Collins, Merryl Hammond, Ron Shisheesh, Ainiak Korgak, Debbie Dedam-Montour • rob.collins@me.com

Smoking Sucks workshops for Aboriginal youth

• Takes place over 4 days, for 6 – 18 participants
• Objective 1: to build critical awareness of causes & effects of smoking
• Keep asking “But why?” to dig deeper to the root causes
• Examine role of colonialism & historic transmission of trauma

Rob Collins, Merryl Hammond, Ron Shisheesh, Ainiak Korgak, Debbie Dedam-Montour • rob.collins@me.com

Smoking Sucks workshops

• Objective 2: to empower youth to share learning with others
• Practice presenting in small and large groups
• Workshops end with a presentation to the community
• Based on book Smoking Sucks: Kick Butt!

(coming soon in iBooks)

Rob Collins, Merryl Hammond, Ron Shisheesh, Ainiak Korgak, Debbie Dedam-Montour • rob.collins@me.com

Were the workshops successful?

• 102 youth (of 127 total) evaluated 21 criteria
• Mean rating: 95% (range: 88–100%)
• Parents, families & friends enthusiastic
• >50% of smokers quit during training (last 8 workshops)

Rob Collins, Merryl Hammond, Ron Shisheesh, Ainiak Korgak, Debbie Dedam-Montour • rob.collins@me.com

Before After

Smoking Sucks: Kick Butt!

Rob Collins, Merryl Hammond, Ron Shisheesh, Ainiak Korgak, Debbie Dedam-Montour • rob.collins@me.com