PREGNANCY/ YOUTH
and TOBACCO

by Heidi Kuran

Liz Stevens, the Secretary Treasurer of NIICHRO,
introduced Sheila Hardy an Ojibway from Sudbury
Ontario. Sheila is an Associate Professor for the
Bachelor of Social Work in Native Human Service
program at Laurentian University. She is an active
member of a national group of native social work
educators who recently completed two national level
research studies addressing issues related to youth,
the non-traditional use of tobacco and native social welfare.

Sheila opened her discussion by telling the audience that she received her
Indian name after fasting in the spring. Her Indian name translates as
"tobacco woman" and coincidentally, a few weeks later she was asked
to give this talk on tobacco. She disclosed that she was a smoker for 24
years and lost her mother to lung cancer at only 58 years of age.

Sheila pointed out that rather than lecture on the harmful use of non-traditional
tobacco, she wanted to pass on information in order that CHRs may use the
information in their communities. She had three objectives:

1.To share results of a national survey she was involved in.
2.To discuss the effects of smoking during pregnancy, on children,
the family and the community.
3.To provide strategies to stop smoking or prevent smoking uptake.

The audience members shared ideas about the dangers of smoking.
Some of the ideas that were discussed were:

People look older before their time.

Lung cancer, heart disease, throat cancer, asthma, bronchitis
and emphysema potential increases.

People who smoke smell bad, have yellow teeth and fingers
and bad breath.

SIDS potential increases. Second-hand smoke is very harmful
to children and adults.

A contributing factor in house fires.

Can cause high cholesterol.

Highly addictive and very expensive.

Tobacco abuse can cause impotence in men.

Sheila suggested that NIICHRO's "Messages on Tobacco and Your Health"
package is an excellent resource for accessing information about the effects
of tobacco and for strategies on prevention in communities.

EFFECTS OF SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY

Nicotine deprives the body of oxygen required for proper tissue
function and growth. This will have harmful effects on the fetus.

Smoking during pregnancy can cause pre-mature labour, tubal pregnancy.
The chance of stillbirth, and miscarriage are increased as much as 50%.

Low birth-weight babies can result from mothers who smoke and often
these babies become children who are smaller than others. These children
often have trouble reading and with social adjustment compared with
children from non-smoking mothers.

When children of smokers have children, they are more likely to have
behavioural problems.

EFFECTS ON CHILDREN AND TEENS

Higher rates of illness such as asthma, colds, flu, pneumonia,
and bronchitis.

Children are much more likely to become smokers themselves.

Lower lung function and growth.

Higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

Physical fitness in terms of performance and endurance.
Heart rates are faster, adding stress to the body.

Shortness of breath is much more prevalent in smoking teens.

Teens who smoke visit the doctor or other health practitioner
much more often than teens that do not smoke.

Teens who smoke are three times more likely to use alcohol,
eight times more likely to use marijuana and twenty-two times
more likely to use cocaine. These high-risk behaviours often
lead to others like having unprotected sex.

Sheila explained that most smokers begin when they are teenagers
and continue throughout adulthood. The average smoker in Aboriginal
communities begins at 10 years of age so she stressed that prevention
programs must begin very early.

Sheila discussed the First Nations youth tobacco study she was
involved in during 1995-96. The group that did the study is called
WUNSKA and is comprised of social work educators across Canada.
Some of the key issues were: why young children were smoking,
how much kids were smoking, what children already knew about
smoking and what influences were prevalent in their lives.

The study by WUNSKA is important to the issue of tobacco use
during pregnancy because First Nations women often have babies
at a younger age than other women in Canada. According to the study,
females are more likely to smoke and since addiction happens in three
years or less, young women often cannot stop smoking when they
become pregnant. This is a great risk to the baby.

The study also revealed that peer pressure is a heavy influence
on whether a young person will start smoking or quit smoking.
Parental influence is also a key factor in teens' opinions about
smoking; their approval is very important to children and a good
incentive to quit smoking. Similarly, Elders and other role-models
can provide a positive non-smoking example. Another statistic
Sheila mentioned was that in communities without CHRs, young
people are 36% more likely to smoke so the work CHRs do with
young people has a positive impact. She suggested the
following methods for CHRs to help young people
stop smoking or never start:

+ Self-esteem building

+ Increased sport participation

+ Allow young people to be involved in building stop-smoking programs

+ Provide young people with non-smoking environments

+ Lobby to decrease advertising and increase cost of tobacco

Sheila concluded her talk with a quote that described tobacco
as a gift from the Creator and should be used in ways that honour
the gift. Tobacco abuse must be confronted by revitalizing the
strength of the nation through its youth and its children, both born and unborn.