http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/country/canada.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/02/07/ban-the-butt-for-a-greener-cleaner-world/ http://tobacco.org/news/333615.html Set aside the costs and consequences of the toxicity of the billions of cigarette filters that have found their way in our rivers, lakes and oceans and consider the clean-up costs in our cities. One recent assessment of tobacco litter estimated that public litter costs for large U.S. cities range from $3 million to $16 million a year, with tobacco litter comprising between 22 to 36 per cent of the visible litter. The concept of user-pay or, in this case, polluter-pay should reign but doesn’t. Think tobacco lobby, political gridlock and tax fatigue. And tobacco addicts already pay all sorts of taxes for their nicotine fix while not every single one of uses the great outdoors as their ashtray. Some smokers even chow down on unfiltered cigs. . . . If you can’t tax cigarette butts – and ensure that part of the tax will cover all clean-up costs – then ban them. A ban on single-use non-biodegradable cigarette filters would be a form of inexpensive sustainable development: Cut off toxic pollution at the source. Harsh, you say? We are talking about folks who already hack and who, as a collective, often can’t be bothered smoking within designated areas, seem unable to find their way to outdoor ashtrays provided them and can’t be bothered to pick up their own toxic crap. Reusable cigarette holders were good enough for Audrey Hepburn ( as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s), they should be good enough for that smoky-smelling lot. Montreal Gazette Canada Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3465595 http://tobacco.org/news/333571.html A Grey County committee has been instructed to look at a proposal by public health that would prohibit people from smoking at outdoor areas where children and youth tend to gather, such as parks, pools, beaches and sports fields. Dr. Hazel Lynn, Grey-Bruce’s medical officer of health, said the goal of an outdoor smoking ban is to reduce even further the number of times a child or youth sees someone puffing on a cigarette. “Smoke Free Ontario basically protects people from second-hand smoke. It didn’t have a lot to do with the rest of it. Now we want to make smoking an abnormal function in our society,” she said in an interview following a presentation to Grey County council Tuesday. Council voted to refer consideration of a Smoke Free Outdoor Spaces bylaw to the county’s corporate services committee. Owen Sound Sun Times Canada Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://winnipeg.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120208/wpg_smokes_seized_120208/20120208?hub=WinnipegHome http://tobacco.org/news/333564.html Provincial officials said three people face a range of charges after loaded guns, 1.45 million contraband cigarettes and more than $400,000 in cash were seized from private residences. The province said enforcement agencies carried out search warrants in the RM of Rosser on Feb. 2 at two residences. A 67-year-old man and his 66-year-old brother, along with a 48-year-old woman, face a number of charges, including provincial charges for possession of non-Manitoba marked tobacco. Canadian Television Canada Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.simcoe.com/community/health/article/1295060--put-the-brakes-on-tobacco http://tobacco.org/news/333555.html MIDLAND - Nancy Bell, a public health nurse with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, and Bourgeois Motors sales manager Adam Moreau are encouraging local cigarette smokers to quit the habit and enter the provincial Driven to Quit challenge. The deadline to enter online at www.driventoquit.ca is Feb. 29. Participants must remain tobacco free through the month of March for a chance to win a 2012 Ford Fusion or Edge. Simcoe County Online community.webmaster@metroland.com Canada Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/02/09/montreal-champix-ads.html http://tobacco.org/news/333546.html Ads that subtly promote the smoking cessation drug Champix are popping up in downtown Montreal, but the campaign is raising concerns after a recent study linked the drug to heart problems. The drug, manufactured by Pfizer, is the subject of three Health Canada safety advisories. The warnings involve reports of possible adverse reactions including depression, hostility, and increased risk of suicide. . . . The ads in question feature the words “I did it!” on a green background with the drug’s website tagged underneath. In Canada, as long as an ad doesn’t specify the disease or condition a drug is supposed to treat, it’s legal, even if the drug has been flagged for review by Health Canada. In the U.S., stricter advertising standards prohibit Pfizer from using the same marketing for the drug. Complies with regulations In an emailed statement, Pfizer said the ads comply with all federal regulations. "The campaign was also reviewed and approved by Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) as part of their pre-clearance service," the statement reads. CBC News Canada Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/02/06/health-board-puts-the-squeeze-on-smokers http://tobacco.org/news/333423.html Ottawa's patios, parks, and beaches are one step closer to being smoke-free. The board of health gave the greenlight to a three-year clean air strategy during a meeting at City Hall Monday night. The strategy aims to protect children and non-smokers from second hand smoke and help smokers quit. The report includes a recommendation to ban smoking at all city properties, including City Hall. Almost 20 public delegates signed up to speak at the meeting, and all but one were in favour of the move. Ottawa Sun Canada Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2012/02/07/ottawa-smoking-bylaw-board-of-health.html http://tobacco.org/news/333415.html The Ottawa Board of Health has given the thumbs up to a new, harsher smoking bylaw, which has hurdled one more roadblock before coming to fruition. The new regulations, first proposed Jan. 30, would ban smoking at bar and restaurant patios and at city-run beaches and parks. Smoking would also be prohibited on any festival run on city property. Bylaw officers plan to use the spring to issue warnings to smokers and help people get used to the new rules. The fines, which are expected to be about $300, would start in the summer. But at a meeting Monday night, many anti-smoking advocates and Ottawa residents spoke in favour of a harsher bylaw. Many thought the next step should be banning all smoking on sidewalks. Others, such as one cancer survivor who underwent chemotherapy 10 years ago, want smoking banned on hospital campuses. CBC News Canada Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.parisstaronline.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3461950 http://tobacco.org/news/333385.html Ontario tobacco growers caught with lingering financing problems in the collapse of buyers for their 2010 harvest contracts now can get some relief, allowing them to plant a crop this year. Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett has written to Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Ted McMeekin about the problems experienced by 66 growers in his riding who suffered from the financial problems of Tillsonburg- based True Blend. The company had contracted to buy all their 2010 harvest but could not pay after the first loads were delivered, and the contracts fell into default. Most of the affected growers are in Norfolk County. There also were problems with a surety bond that was supposed to back the product that year. "These farmers were assured that True Blend was a stable company and that a surety bond was in place and would be immediately payable if the company could not fulfill its end of the contract," Barrett wrote. Consequently, the growers became vulnerable to penalty in attempts to get backing from Agricorp to grow future crops, and assistance in the AgriStability program. Paris Star mamarion@theexpositor.com (Michael-Allan Marion, QMI Agency) Canada Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120204/OTT-ottawa-hospital-stop-smoking-120204/20120204/?hub=OttawaHome http://tobacco.org/news/333366.html Doctors from around the world will leave Ottawa with new ideas to help patients quit smoking after their annual conference Saturday. The fourth annual Ottawa Conference promoted the Ottawa Heart Institute's stop-smoking model, which reaches out to smokers after they've been hospitalized because of their addiction. "When someone gets admitted to the hospital, that's a teachable moment for them," said Dr. Anil Gupta of the Trillium Health Centre. "That's a time in their lives when they're most likely in the frame of mind to want to quit smoking because they've just had some sort of acute event." It's estimated 60 per cent of smokers will die early, which doctors said makes their role important. "It can be very difficult to stop smoking and that's one of the purposes of our conferences," said Dr. Andrew Pipe. "We can share experience and research in order that we can identify ways in which we can be much more helpful to smokers." Canadian Television Canada Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/102/abstract http://tobacco.org/news/333360.html Background Smoking during pregnancy is associated with known adverse perinatal and obstetrical outcomes as well as with socio-economic, demographic and other behavioural risk factors that independently influence outcomes. Using a large population-based perinatal registry, we assess the quantity of cigarettes smoked for the magnitude of adverse birth outcomes and also the association of other socio-economic and behavioural risk factors documented within the registry that influence pregnancy outcomes. Our goal was to determine whether number of cigarettes smoked could identify those in greatest need for comprehensive intervention programs to improve outcomes. . . . Results There were 233,891 singleton births with available smoking status data. A significant dose-dependent increase in risk was observed for the adverse birth outcomes small-for-gestational age, term low birth weight and intra-uterine growth restriction. Results from the pp-odds model indicate heavy smokers were more likely to have not graduated high school: AOR (95% CI) = 3.80 (3.41-4.25); be a single parent: 2.27 (2.14-2.42); have indication of drug or alcohol use: 7.65 (6.99-8.39) and 2.20 (1.88-2.59) respectively, attend fewer than 4 prenatal care visits: 1.39 (1.23-1.58), and be multiparous: 1.59 (1.51-1.68) compared to light, moderate and non-smokers combined. Conclusion Our data suggests that self reports of heavy smoking early in pregnancy could be used as a marker for lifestyle risk factors that in combination with smoking influence birth outcomes. This information may be used for planning targeted intervention programs for not only smoking cessation, but potentially other support services such as nutrition and healthy pregnancy education. BioMed Central Canada Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/Support creation smoke free spaces/6106380/story.html http://tobacco.org/news/333344.html I write to support Ottawa Public Health for introducing a bylaw that will eliminate smoking in outdoor spaces in Ottawa. The importance of limiting exposure to second-hand smoke has been recognized for many years. Ottawa has provided distinct leadership in addressing this important public health challenge in the past; the adoption of the proposed bylaw will continue that tradition of public health leadership. It is important to ensure that current and future generations of Ottawans are provided with the opportunity to enjoy smoke-free public spaces and facilities. Our children deserve no less. Evidence continues to accumulate Ottawa Citizen Canada Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.stockmarketsreview.com/news/257658/ http://tobacco.org/news/333332.html On the occasion of National Non Smoking Week, a group of national and provincial health agencies is calling for the federal government to crack down on the marketing of tobacco novelties aimed at youth. "Within the shadow of Parliament Hill, we were easily able to find deadly tobacco products that look like candy or a fruit roll-up," said Dr. Atul Kapur, President of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada. "These are exactly the types of products that the government set out to ban three years ago." Dr. Kapur displayed some of the 19 different products that were found in over 60 different flavours in stores in downtown Ottawa. When the Cracking Down on Tobacco Marketing Aimed at Youth Act was passed in September 2009, there was a widespread belief that this new law would end the sale of flavoured cigarillos, as it was intended to do. There was also widespread hope among many that the government would extend the ban to flavoured smokeless tobacco and flavoured shisha (waterpipe tobacco). Prime Minister Stephen Harper had expressed his intention clearly on September 17, 2008 when he said, "As a parent, I was appalled to see tobacco being marketed in a way that is so enticing to children. Flavouring and packaging them like candy, gum or a fruit roll up. This just isn't right. This practice can't continue. We will not tolerate it." Marketwire Canada Canada Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2012-02-05/article-2886396/Halifax-police-charge-woman-after-seizing-thousands-of-illegal-cigarettes/1 http://tobacco.org/news/333316.html Halifax RCMP have charged a 35-year-old woman after seizing thousands of contraband cigarettes from a car. On Tuesday afternoon, officers searched a 2011 Chevrolet Impala in Fairview as part of an ongoing investigation and seized 135,000 cigarettes. Police say an investigation revealed the Timberlea woman was transporting illegal cigarettes to Quebec from Halifax. Canadian Press edit@cbpost.com Canada Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2012/02/05/nl-torbay-cigarette-bust-205.html http://tobacco.org/news/333310.html Police have arrested a man on the northeast Avalon Peninsula following a raid that involved contraband cigarettes. RCMP said officers with the St. John's customs and excise section searched a home in Torbay Friday and seized 263 cartons of illegal cigarettes. CBC News Canada Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/recommendations+smoking+parks+patios+parks+beaches/6072754/story.html http://tobacco.org/news/333308.html Ottawa would be a healthier place if smoking is banned at outdoor bar and restaurant patios and on municipal properties such as parks, beaches, sports fields and areas outside city facilities, say public-health officials. Vendor stands at the Parkdale and ByWard markets are also proposed to fall under new smoke-free bylaws that are to go before the city’s board of health on Feb. 6, with the goal of having any new rules in place by the time warm weather arrives and patios and markets open. If approved by council, the regulations would create smoke-free spaces at four beaches, more than 1,000 city parks, more than 200 patios and areas outside about 300 city facilities, such as arenas and City Hall, said Dr. Isra Levy, the city’s medical officer of health. Events on municipal properties would also be smoke-free under the proposed changes. “We’re doing this because second-hand smoke is a health hazard. We know that it can be as toxic outdoors as indoors,” Levy told reporters and councillors on Monday, adding that there is strong correlation between smoke-free regulations and reduced smoking rates and exposure to second-hand smoke, as well as increased attempts to quit smoking. Ottawa Citizen ncockburn@ottawacitizen.com (Neco Cockburn, The Ottawa Citizen) Canada Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT