Tobacco.org

LETTER: SHATENSTEIN: Ottawa pulls punches on tobacco law 

I was surprised to find little news or editorial reaction to Speaker Milliken's seminal ruling.

The issues under discussion in Bill S-15 were - and remain - of critical importance. Would the bill have achieved its aims? Is it possible to target youth properly without addressing adult smokers, given that teens with non-smoking parents are only half as likely to become smokers?

The fact that two of Canada's three major tobacco firms supported S-15 gives rise to even further questions. Was the industry in a win-win situation, expecting to reap a PR bonanza when the bill almost inevitably failed, but ready to exploit weaknesses in its wording, should it have succeeded? These questions require thoughtful, informed analysis and perspective. . .

Whatever the perspective of your editorialists or columnists, I believe that the form and content of Bill S-15, as well as the tobacco industry's support and the government's own procedural opposition, all warrant careful commentary.

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