Tobacco is a plant that contains nicotine which is a drug, it is available in many different forms, for example: cigarette, cigar, pipe, chewing gum and tobacco snuff, electronic cigarettes. The popularity of these products among young Canadians is prevalent. Tobacco is more prevalent among Indigenous youth than non-Indigenous youth. This is due to family background, culture and their history. “The average Indigenous Canadian starts smoking at age 12, several years earlier than other Canadians who are 19.” This essay will focus on how popular tobacco is among young people and why access to tobacco is so easy. It will try to answer the question: “does tobacco abuse put young people at risk?” Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Canada and worldwide." Tobacco use among young people in residential care has increased. There is an overall decrease in tobacco use among the general population, but the findings suggest that the prevalence of recent tobacco use is almost triple national rates, while daily smoking is four times that of the general young population. A recently reported study conducted in Canada found that there is a high prevalence of smoking and substance abuse among Indigenous youth between the ages of 14 and 19. 24.9% of respondents reported being current smokers. 2.6% were former smokers. Indigenous people consider tobacco sacred, tobacco is used in many rituals and ceremonies. It is offered to the elders by the natives whenever they want advice or blessings from them. Tobacco is popular among natives because it has healing properties, they use it as medicine for many problems and diseases. However, elders in indigenous communities consider recreational tobacco use to be disrespectful. Indigenous children are exposed to tobacco smoke in their homes and are at risk of tobacco-related health problems. Tobacco smoking also causes childhood hearing loss and childhood invasive meningococcal disease, and Canada's indigenous populations experience much higher rates of infant mortality, respiratory disease, cancer and behavioral problems. “Tobacco remains a major risk factor contributing to poor health and potential loss of life found among indigenous populations.” Indigenous youth are at risk from tobacco and other drug abuse. They face low self-esteem and lack of recognition in society. Furthermore, many of these families have low incomes and therefore the needs of young people are not being met. They get involved in "gangs" that cater to their needs. Children living alone in foster families or groups, without family support, often become involved in gangs to obtain money or any other needs. They have a sense of belonging to the gang and do whatever the members ask to fit into the group. They start using drugs like tobacco and then become addicted to it. To have a regular supply of drugs they also get involved in criminal activities such as drug dealing. Furthermore, indigenous people are unemployed and have a poor standard of living, drug abuse is one of the main reasons why young people fail to perform well in academia and also are unable to hold a good job as employers do not prefer young people who are not in any type of job. risk. There could be many different reasons or factors why young peopleindulge in the use of tobacco products. one of the reasons is peer pressure, the company of young people plays a big role in what they do, if a person gets involved in a group that uses a lot of drugs or sells them, the individual is more likely to start using them tobacco itself to fit into the group. Furthermore, children are influenced by their family, especially in indigenous families. “The Youth Smoking Survey found that 82% of grade 6 to 9 smokers reported obtaining their cigarettes from friends, family or other social sources. Furthermore, tobacco outlets are available in school districts, which increases tobacco use among youth. Retail access to cigarettes is also a determinant of smoking among adolescents. Young people also receive the message to try tobacco from television and advertising. Many movies and television shows normalize smoking by showing actors smoking all the time. Young people try to follow their favorite actors or heroes and try to become cool. This makes them think that smoking is completely normal since everyone does it. This makes them young people who go through difficulties in their life and are unable to deal with their problems and find tobacco and other drugs effective in reducing stress. “Young people with high depression scores are at greater risk of smoking. Low self-esteem, stress, boredom and poor academic achievement are all factors that influence initiation into tobacco use in Indigenous children and youth.” It's no secret that tobacco use is harmful. Tobacco is the main cause of death, especially among young people and children. “Tobacco is known to cause more preventable deaths than any other drug.” Tobacco use is associated with other abuses such as gambling and alcohol addiction. Tobacco is usually the first drug a young person uses, after which they become addicted to it at an early age and later leads to the use of other drugs such as cannabis, alcohol, marijuana and many others. Tobacco use also has many effects on physical and mental health. Sleep problems are also associated with more frequent tobacco use, which in itself causes many problems. “Findings from five cohorts raise the possibility that a youth's tobacco use may predict later mental health problems related to frequent tobacco use at age 16 with the emergence of depression and anxiety disorder at 22 years". Smoking is very popular among Canadian girls. They are exposed to health problems. “Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of perinatal mortality, premature birth, low birth weight, congenital anomalies such as gastrochic and sudden infant death syndrome.” Many risk factors are also associated with quitting smoking. There are various withdrawal symptoms such as hyperanxiety, discomfort, agitation and there is a possibility of relapse. Smoking is more common among poor or low-income youth. Smokers who develop addiction cannot live without tobacco, so even when they do not have enough money to buy cigarettes or other tobacco products, they get involved in bad or criminal companies to obtain drugs from them and pay for them in terms of criminal acts. for them. Some young people also start stealing money or robbing. However, it is best to prevent something so harmful from happening later. It is essential to prevent young people from using tobacco. Young people should receive awareness and messages about the harmful effects of tobacco on their lives. Counseling is one of the best ways to treat smoking children. Family support also helps encourage young people not to try tobacco and even to quit smoking. Especially among indigenous communities, young people must be discouraged from doing so.2004.11.028