Tobacco.org

CANSECO: We Mind the Smoke, But Not Smoking  

Over the past three decades, a lengthy inventory of regulations has affected the way people smoke, and the way non-smokers interact with smokers. In England and Wales, having a cigarette at a pub is now harder than it was in 2007. Smoking bans in public spaces and workplaces now cover practically all of North America, and the way stores sell and advertise tobacco has changed drastically.

A three-country survey conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion sought to find out how Americans, Britons and Canadians feel about smoking. The first thing that jumps out when looking at the data is that the measures taken by several municipalities, provinces and even countries to deal with smoking are endorsed by a large majority of respondents. . . .

At least four-in-five people in the three countries agree with the one rule that has become almost universal: banning smoking in indoor public spaces and workplaces. At least two thirds are in favour of prohibiting smokers from lighting up in a bar, restaurant or casino, or inside a car when a child or teenager is present.

Americans are not as keen on two other regulations that have been in place in Alberta since 2009. Three-in-four Canadians and three-in-five Britons agree with banning cigarette sales in all stores containing a pharmacy, but just 43 of Americans concur. . . .

Overall, people in the three countries appear to be satisfied with the status-quo when it comes to the way smoking is being dealt with in their daily lives, and even smokers agree with the regulations that the have to abide by. The message is clear. If the smoke is on the sidewalk or the screen--and not at the office or dinner table--we don't seem to mind that much.

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EDITORIAL: Stop-smoking aids a good investment  

If the provincial government is serious about convincing more British Columbians to butt out, it should listen to the advice of the Canadian Medical Association and cover the full costs of smoking-cessation products.

As it is, only Quebec smokers are reimbursed when they purchase the nicotine patch, nicotine gum or other quit-smoking therapies. . . .

The CMA says funding for quit-smoking products should come out of the "substantial tax revenues" collected on the sale of tobacco products. Smokers have long believed they shoulder an unfair tax burden. By putting some of that money into programs designed to help them quit, maybe they'd feel as though they were getting something for their money.

And considering the cost of treating tobacco-related illnesses, the decision to pay for stop-smoking products should be considered a good investment.

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CMAJ: Governments: pay for smoking cessation 

If smokers in Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. can be reimbursed for products that could help them quit smoking, why aren't Canadians?

That's the question asked in an editorial in this week's Canadian Medical Association Journal, co-written by two of the journal's editors, along with two professors from the University of Calgary's Department of Medicine.

The authors note that 19 per cent of Canadians still smoke and that number has remained stagnant in recent years. They also note that all provinces have brought in legislation that prohibits smoking in workplaces and public areas.

"Why, then, do most provincial governments provide little or no direct funding for smoking cessation?" the authors ask.

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O'REGAN: Vancouver golfers must butt out while they play - or pay  

Today,yet another mandate by the city fathers has come into effect, as of September 1st, 2010 no-smoking ban comes into effect in all Vancouver city parks, beaches, playgrounds and yes, golf courses. Fines for a first offence will up to $250.00 and increases of up to $2,000.00 for a subsequent offence.

While the city states environmental, health and fire concerns, many feel it is just another health enacted law in which fire concerns take a back seat as Vancouver city hall has slashed $4 million dollars from the Vancouver fire department budget for 2011.

Nothing is more disgusting than finding cigarette butts on a pristine beach, but most area golf courses have ashtrays at the tee as golfers are more likely a courteous lot. . . .

Funny this marijuana second hand health issue outside a No-Smoking Vancouver public building escaped the attention of Sheriff Gregor and his Law making Nancy Boys.

One wonders if 5,000 cigarette smokers congregated in protest in front of the Vancouver library would be offered the same courtesy?

Rules for some and not for others. The Golf Police, coming to a Green near you!

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Tickets to be given out as smoking ban takes effect 

Even though Vancouver's smoking ban on parks and beaches has now kicked in, Park Board Commissioner Aaron Jasper insists this is not an excuse to punish smokers or to single them out.

He says it is all about public health. "So we're not telling people that they should quit. If they want to smoke, that is their business. But their smoking habit should not impact the health of their neighbour or their friend sitting down the beach with them."

The new smoking bylaw in Vancouver's parks and beaches also comes with new responsibilities for Park Rangers.

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EDITORIAL: Huff and puff  

The Canadian Medical Association Journal says in its latest edition commercial products that help people quit smoking should be free because anything that reduces cigarette smoking is a positive thing. . . .

Unfortunately, the medical association did not analyze the potential cost of such a program, except to say it would be offset by the savings in health-care budgets. The same could probably be said about offering free sardines, which have amazing health benefits . . .

A costly program is probably not in the best interests of the health-care system at a time when governments can barely fund their core responsibilities under budgets partly fuelled by tobacco taxes and free of the costs of tobacco replacements.

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Smoking ban takes effect Wednesday at Vancouver parks and beaches 

Parks and beaches are now off-limits to smokers, as the Vancouver Park Board’s ban on the habit took effect Wednesday.

Lighting up in prohibited areas will net a fine of $250. These include the city’s 224 parks, plus its playgrounds, beaches, golf courses, sports fields, trails, seawall and areas within park boundaries, including parking lots.

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Vancouver park smoking ban takes effect 

Smoking is now banned on all properties and in all facilities under the jurisdiction of the Vancouver Park Board.

A bylaw came into effect Wednesday prohibiting smoking at public parks, playgrounds, parking lots, beaches, and the three golf courses owned by the city.

The bylaw specifically prohibits smoking cigarettes, pipes, cigars and marijuana smoking devices called bongs.

The measure was passed unanimously by the board's seven commissioners in April.

It won't be easy to make people change their ways, said board chair Aaron Jasper.

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Province does help smokers quit  

Nova Scotia provides funding for smoking-cessation programs, a provincial spokesman said Tuesday.

Steve Machat, manager of tobacco control, was responding to an editorial in the Canadian Medical Association journal. The association said only Quebec provides full funding for cessation programs, while Prince Edward Island and the Yukon reimburse for at least one smoking-cessation product each.

But Machat said Nova Scotia has set aside $1.3 million annually for the past eight years for group counselling programs. Participants can get no-cost nicotine replacement therapies, such as the patch and chewing gum.

The programs are available in each of the province's nine health districts.

Machat commended the medical association for urging governments to help people quit smoking.

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Medical journal calls on provinces to fund quit-smoking drugs 

The Canadian Medical Association Journal is calling on provincial governments to publicly fund medications designed to help Canadians quit smoking.

In an editorial published Monday, the authors propose that "as an immediate first step, all provincial drug formularies should begin reimbursing evidence-based smoking cessation therapies," so smokers over the age of 65 and those receiving social assistance would have free access. . . .

The B.C. government has already begun a review of smoking-cessation products, including nicotine-replacement therapies and prescription drugs, according to a written statement provided by the province's health ministry.

Quit-smoking rates are higher when counselling is provided along with smoking-cessation therapies, said a spokesperson from Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport, which is in the process of developing a new five-year strategy to combat tobacco use in the province.

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EDITORIAL: Save by helping smokers quit 

Notwithstanding the veritable mountain range of evidence pointing to a vast array of horrible consequences, one in five Canadians, some 5.5 million, still use tobacco. Surprisingly -- alarmingly -- those numbers haven't decreased in recent years, underlining a serious, expensive, tragic societal problem.

In an editorial published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal Monday, the CMA periodical has urged provincial governments to fund smoking-cessation treatments. . . .

Indications are that we'd also save tens of millions of dollars each year from a mind-numbing panoply of public services devoted to smokers who have become ill. As to seed funding, accessing a tiny amount of existing massive tobacco tax monies makes a good deal of sense.

Is there a downside here that we're missing?

At the very least, Alberta should begin a pilot program for those at most risk. It's a bit mysterious why, considering the data at hand, it hasn't happened sooner. A word on this, please, Minister Zwozdesky?

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Fund butt-out aids, MDs tell provinces 

A Canadian medical research journal is urging all provinces to follow the example of Quebec, Australia and the United Kingdom and fund smoking-cessation therapies.

An editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says reducing smoking rates could save hundreds of thousands of lives while slashing tobacco-related health-care costs. The authors say studies have shown treatments plus counselling increase the likelihood of a person quitting and still abstaining one year later.

"In this instance, (the benefit) is pretty clear-cut," Dr. Paul Hébert, the journal's editor-in-chief and editorial co-author, said in an interview. "You have public health interventions, like tobacco-control programs, that are already in existence.

"They have been more or less successful. In fact, they've dropped smoking rates over the course of time. But they seem to be fixed at 19 per cent."

However, Manitoba Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau said Monday fully funding such remedies would be "prohibitively expensive."

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Alberta rejects therapy to quit smoking 

The Canadian Medical Association Journal is calling on provincial governments to publicly fund medications designed to help Canadians quit smoking, but Alberta is closing the door on the idea for now.

In an editorial published Monday, the authors suggest tax revenues collected on the sale of tobacco products could fund reimbursement for smoking cessation therapies.

Last year, 5.7 million Canadians -- or 20 per cent of those who are 12 and older -- smoked either daily or occasionally, according to Statistics Canada.

Among provinces, Alberta and Nova Scotia had the highest smoking rate, at 23.3 per cent.

The medical association editorial notes the number of smokers has remained relatively stagnant in recent years despite provincial and federal programs geared to help Canadians quash their nicotine addition.

Quebec is the only province that funds all drugs to help people quit smoking, while Yukon and Prince Edward Island reimburse residents for at least one product.

Alberta Health spokesman Howard May said the province is not planning at the moment to examine whether it should finance medications to help Albertans quit smoking.

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EDITORIAL: Governments, pay for smoking cessation 

A drastic decrease in smoking rates would undoubtedly save hundreds of thousands of Canadian lives and reduce associated health care costs. Effective public health strategies for tobacco control must incorporate both population- and individual-level interventions.1 All Canadian provinces have endorsed the former by enacting legislation that prohibits smoking in workplaces and public areas. Why, then, do most provincial governments provide little or no direct funding for smoking cessation? . . .

Given the high cost of tobacco addiction and our inability to decrease the rates of smoking in Canada below 19% in recent years, governments should complement population-level public health strategies against tobacco with a marked increase in investment in individual-level smoking cessation programs. As an immediate first step, all provincial drug formularies should begin reimbursing evidence-based smoking cessation therapies.

This will provide coverage to smokers receiving social assistance and to those over 65 years of age. To treat the rest of Canada’s smokers, we should follow the lead of other countries and reimburse smoking cessation therapies for everyone. An appropriate source of funding for this is obvious — the substantial tax revenues collected with the sale of every tobacco product.

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Careless smoking blamed for $5M apartment fire  

A fire Tuesday afternoon in a downtown apartment complex appears to have been caused by careless disposal of smoking material, such as a match or cigarette, police said today. . . .

Early estimates had pegged damages at around $1million; those estimates are now in the vicinity of $5 million, police said.

Residents of the apartment building attached to the annex were forced to leave the building overnight.

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