Lung association seeks input from 3 communities that tend to smoke more
CBC
The Lung Association of Nova Scotia and P.E.I. wants to know why smoking is more prevalent within certain communities, with an eye to figuring out how to help members of those groups quit.
People with lower incomes (under $40,000 a year), Indigenous people, and members of the LGBTQ communities have smoking rates two or more times higher than those of other Canadian communities, according to a spokesperson for the association, which abbreviates its name as LungNSPEI.
It has launched a project inviting people aged 16 and up from those communities to share their opinions, either through an online survey or by participating in a focus group or sharing circle.
Provincial smoking cessation programs offer nicotine replacement therapy, but Julia Hartley of LungNSPEI said they are looking for unique ways to serve communities where the uptake of that tool has been slower.
"We would like to see some more counselling added to the program so there might be opportunities for really in-depth counselling; maybe that's what people are looking for," Hartley told CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin on Tuesday.
"Or maybe they're looking for virtual counselling, where they could kind of anonymously contribute to working with others to quit smoking… That's what we're trying to discover with this study."
The 18-month program is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Officials will use the data to develop tools and better programming specific to the communities being surveyed.
People who want to learn more about voicing their opinion can visit the LungNSPEI website, contact LungNSPEI by phone at 902-892-5957 (toll-free 1-888-566-5864) or email quitsmoking@lungnspei.ca.
The association is offering a $10 gift card for completing the survey, a $30 gift card for participating in the one-hour focus group, and a $50 gift card for participating in the sharing circle, which could take more than two hours.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
What started as a seed of an idea a decade ago has since blossomed into a flourishing spectacle on the banks of a river in central Prince Edward Island.
Grade 12 students in the N.W.T. are bidding their high schools farewell this month. Graduation ceremonies across the territory have been taking place and as students are finishing one stage of their lives, they are also being propelled toward the next one.
A decade after a promised boom in the liquified natural gas industry failed to materialize, Canada has arrived at the starting line, rekindling some aspirations of becoming a major LNG player.
Dave has learned the hard way that you don't want the wrong person getting a hold of your social insurance number.
Just a few years ago, Canada Day was going through a serious identity crisis.
The Victoria Volunteer Fire Department is back in action as tensions between fire Chief Justin Parsons and town Mayor Barry Dooley have been resolved.
When Patricia Mombourquette was getting ready for a swim in Lake Micmac last week, she was greeted by a foul stench and the unsightly presence of hundreds of dead snails that had floated to the surface.
Community groups in Winnipeg are pushing for a more restorative approach to policing and prosecuting racialized communities in Winnipeg.
Three coastal First Nations have worked together to come up with a plan to move a grizzly bear that's been causing problems on Texada Island — just off B.C.'s Sunshine Coast — but so far, the province has not signed off.
After an Alberta judge granted a temporary injunction blocking a provincial law that would ban doctors from providing gender-affirming care to youth, Premier Danielle Smith said she intends to fight the decision in court.
The N.W.T. government is preparing to send a second barge up the Mackenzie River to the Sahtu region in the next few weeks.
The Canadian government has ordered Chinese surveillance camera manufacturer Hikvision to cease operations in Canada over national security concerns, Industry Minister Melanie Joly said late on Friday.
Police have charged a man with uttering threats after an incident during a U13 girls soccer game in Vaughan last week where coaches say a parent threatened to stab someone.