Following the legalization of cannabis in Canada, the First Nations Health Authority is launching an awareness campaign for the Indigenous population.
Young people and pregnant women are the focused demographic with the program focusing on how it affects developing minds. About 43% of Indigenous persons in BC is under the age of 25, according to FNHA. With this in mind, FNHA Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Shannon McDonald explained why it is important to teach these values to youth and young adults.
“We want to give young people the tools to make good choices. Abstinence is one option but it’s certainly not the only option and we want to make sure that whatever choices people are making, they are making it well informed and being respectful of their own health.”
The information, while transferrable to everyone, focuses on the Indigenous population. A certain level of relatability is key when distributing lessons such as cannabis use, especially when dealing with a sometimes under-represented demographic.
“We find that people from Indigenous communities often don’t see themselves in advertising or communication or social media in the way that we have directed this campaign, allowing young people to see somebody that looks like them.”
McDonald said the campaign will be present through various forms of media and on things such as posters. For more information on the cannabis awareness campaign, click here.