Jump to full article: Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, 2001-05-24
Intro: S-15 has already served an enormous public service by drawing attention to the need for improved funding for tobacco control, and by contributing to the recent commitment on the part of the Ministers of Finance and the Minister of Health to provide $480 million over 5 years to comprehensive tobacco control measures. Senator Colin Kenny is to be commended for his tireless work in this regard.
However, now that S-15 is further progressing through Parliament, it is appropriate to examine it on its own merits.
S-15 contains two significant structural flaws, each of which is unlikely to be amendable under Commons procedural rules.
Flaw #1
S-15 limits all programs to only those which directly address youth-smoking.
The limits of such an approach is well known, and has been extensively documented. The U.S. Surgeon General's report for 2000, for example, was focused on reviewing measures to reduce tobacco use. After reflecting on the limitations of focusing on youth, the scientists concluded: "a comprehensive approach - one that optimizes synergy from applying a mix of educational, clinical, regulatory, economic and social strategies - has emerged as the guiding principle for future efforts to reduce tobacco use." (Reducing Tobacco Use, A Report of the Surgeon General, 2000, p. 435.
Although S-15 purports to be based on the CDC guidelines for "best practices," most of these best practice elements would not be eligible for funding under S-15. . .
Flaw #2
S-15 provides a number of statutory benefits to the tobacco companies
As a result of the previous speaker's decision, Senator Kenny had to transform his proposal to fund tobacco control initiatives in order to make it procedurally acceptable. Where the 1997 legislation (S-13) tried to disguise a public health measure as a levy for industry purposes, the 2001 legislation (S-15
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