Aboriginal adolescent girls and smoking

Summary of Prevention and Cessation Strategies The girls suggested the following prevention and cessation strategies: Health and social costs should be highlighted Much earlier prevention Role models of all ages from the community Role models girls can relate to Personal stories of success through struggle More activities: youth and cultural activities, sports, arts, etc. [...] Girls who smoke are like “oh I have to have a cigarette” and the girls who don’t smoke don’t have to worry about a cigarette … but the other ones get more stressed out and frantic if they don’t have a smoke. [...] Many girls reported hanging out with more non-Aboriginal youth at school, and with Aboriginal friends and family at home and in the community, pointing to the importance of context in shaping social relations, experiences of peer pressure, and smoking behaviours. [...] I kind of move back and forth from [the reserve] to out of town, so when I was here I was in dances and some of the language classes. [...] The girls mentioned that they smoked because of stress and most of their stressors were family-related and having too much responsibility caring for younger siblings and the differences with raising boys as opposed to girls.