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National Non-Smoking Week: Smoking Rates in B.C. Reach Historic Low, According to Lung Association
Vancouver, BC - January 16, 2006 - January 15 to 21 is National Non-Smoking Week across Canada, and according to the BC Lung Association, it's a time for renewed optimism in the province.
British Columbians continue to set the standard for a number of key health indicators in the country, including the number of people choosing to go tobacco-free. Statistics from Health Canada and the Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey reveal that only 15 percent of adults in British Columbia smoked cigarettes regularly, compared to a national average of 20 percent. Nationally, the percentage numbers topped out in New Brunswick, where 22 percent of the population smokes daily.
More importantly, the number of young smokers in B.C. (between the age of 15 and 19) was only 13 percent. No other province in the country came even close.
"British Columbians seem to be more aware, more passionate, about these issues than the rest of the country," says Veda Peters of the British Columbia Lung Association. Peters also attributes the healthier lifestyles of the West Coast, and enlightened attitudes about the negative effects of tobacco, for the significant downswing of smoking in the province.
"Some of it has to do with our orientation towards the outdoors and recreational activity," she says. "People in British Columbia are more likely to be active, and the more active you are, the less likely you are to smoke, because smoking impairs performance."
"Also, as adult British Columbians quit the tobacco habit, their children aren't starting. That's why we have a lower percentage of youth smoking in the province. Children do learn by example," says Peters.
Peters' comments echo the mandate of the provincial government's ActNow BC program, which is encouraging British Columbians to make better lifestyle choices about tobacco, nutrition, exercise, and healthy choices during pregnancy. ActNow BC is designed to support individuals and communities to improve their health by focusing on these five achievable goals for B.C.'s population by 2010.
"We know that the single-most important thing that a person can do to improve their health is to stop smoking," says Peters.
For more information, please contact:
Katrina van Bylandt
Media Relations, BC Lung Association
T 604-731-5864 x237 or 1-800-665-5864
vanbylandt@bc.lung.ca