ABORIGINAL TOBACCO
USE IN CANADA
Binational Contraband Conference
February 2-3, 2011
Michael.Chaiton@utoronto.ca Ontario Tobacco Research Unit
Heavy Burden
1.5 times adjusted
smokingattributable
mortality
Source: Wardman & Khan, 2004
Heavy Burden
1 in every 5 deaths
Source: Wardman & Khan, 2004
Religious and
political
institutions
Estimates suggest that
smoking prevalence
was nearly 100%
among males
Source: Von Gernet, 2000
European practice of
smoking was a
fundamentally
different activity
25
Canadian Male
First Nations
smokers consume
fewer cigarettes
per day
# Cigarettes Smoked per Day
20.8
19.0
20
15.9
15
14.0
Canadian Female
16.6
15.7
14.0
13.8
12.2
12.8
12.5
11.4
11.2
11.5
10
First Nations Male
15.1
10.2
11.7
10.7
10
7.7
First Nations Female
5
0
0
20
40
Age (in Years)
Source: RHS (2002-03), CTUMS (2003)
60
80
80
Arctic
Prevalence of Current Smoking
70
60
50
On reserve
40
Off reserve
30
20
Non-First
Nations
10
0
1991
2001
Source: Aboriginal Health Survey, CCHS, Environics (2004)
2006
Differences in age and education explain
most but not all of the gap in smoking
prevalence
80
Arctic
Prevalence of Current Smoking
70
60
50
On reserve
40
Off reserve
30
20
Non-First
Nations
10
0
1991
2001
Source: Aboriginal Health Survey, CCHS, Environics
2006
7% of quitline
callers in
Canada are
Aboriginal
Source: Hayward, 2007
First Nations
smokers less willing
to use NRT or
buproprion
Source: Wardman, 2007
Policy intervention



Key policy levers not in place on many reserves
Lower prices maintain high smoking rates
No smoking bans (indoor smoking in public place)