RETRAC2: Research on Commercial Tobacco Reduction in Aboriginal Communities

Background

In Canada, First Nations (on and off-reserve), Inuit and Métis Peoples have remarkably high rates of commercial tobacco use and associate chronic lung and other diseases compared to non-Aboriginal groups. RETRAC2 builds on a previous study (RETRAC1), where 7 Aboriginal communities conducted research to understand their community’s contexts of tobacco use and develop tailored community commercial tobacco reduction strategies. RETRAC1 included a systematic review of literature and studied Aboriginal communities around the world that had success in reducing commercial tobacco use. RETRAC2 provided opportunity for the 7 RETRAC1 communities to implement and evaluate their interventions and for 6 new Aboriginal communities to conduct community-based research, develop and begin to implement their own commercial tobacco reduction strategies.

Aims

The overall purpose of this project (RETRAC2) was to contribute to knowledge about commercial tobacco control interventions that aim to prevent chronic lung diseases in Aboriginal communities in Canada. The team aimed to determine the effectiveness of tailored and evidence informed community-developed strategies in reducing commercial tobacco use and assess the implementation factors that contribute to their success.

Project plan

Determine the effectiveness of tailored and evidence informed community-developed strategies in reducing commercial tobacco use among Aboriginal populations in Ontario, Canada.
Assess the implementation factors that contribute to success of community-developed strategies in reducing commercial tobacco use among Aboriginal populations in Ontario, Canada.
Develop and disseminate a model for intervention development and implementation that can be sustained in Aboriginal communities in Ontario and beyond.

Impact

The project team worked with Canada’s Indigenous communities to successfully restore culturally appropriate relationships with tobacco and emphasize the harmful nature of commercial tobacco; in addition, the program trained Indigenous health workers in smoking cessation methods to support local communities in their efforts to reduce tobacco use.

Publications and output

To access publications and other outputs relating to this project, see our publications webpage.

You can also visit the RETRAC2 project webpage for more information.