http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/country/canada.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/makes tobacco crooks health costs/2244845/story.html http://tobacco.org/news/293078.html Health Minister Ron Liepert suggested a new law allowing the province to recover health costs from convicted criminals will have teeth. "Let me give you an example, a purely hypothetical example. You have an individual who decides in the middle of the night to break into the Calgary Zoo. He goes one step further and decides he's going to break into the tiger cage and challenge the tiger," Liepert said. "Guess what happens? The tiger takes on the character, and he's hospitalized for quite some time. Who's paying his hospital bill? All of us as taxpayers. Because some hypothetical individual decided to take on a tiger in the middle of the night." The health minister made the comments as MLAs ended debate of Bill 48, the Crown's Right of Recovery Act. Edmonton Journal taudette@thejournal.canwest.com (Trish Audette, Edmonton Journal) Canada Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.timminstimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2178203 http://tobacco.org/news/293071.html Timmins city council has passed an amendment to the local anti-smoking bylaw. It says that along with not being allowed to smoke in local bars or restaurants, smokers are no longer allowed to light up in such outdoor spaces as beaches, playgrounds, parks and recreation fields. The bylaw says smoker must be ten metres away from such public spaces. Timmins Times Canada Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122680327/abstract?CRETRY=1 http://tobacco.org/news/293061.html Aim To explore predictors of smoking relapse and how predictors vary according to duration of abstinence. . . . Findings Relapse was associated with lower abstinence self-efficacy and a higher frequency of urges to smoke, but only after the first month or so of quitting. Both these measures mediated relationships between perceived benefits of smoking and relapse. Perceived costs of smoking and benefits of quitting were unrelated to relapse. Conclusions Challenging perceived benefits of smoking may be an effective way to increase abstinence self-efficacy and reduce frequency of urges to smoke (particularly after the initial weeks of quitting), in order to reduce subsequent relapse risk. Wiley InterScience UK Canada Australia USA Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122680331/abstract?CRETRY=1 http://tobacco.org/news/293060.html Aims To describe the long-term natural history of a range of potential determinants of relapse from quitting smoking. Design, setting and participants A survey of 2502 ex-smokers of varying lengths of time quit recruited as part of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey (Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States) across five annual waves of surveying. . . . Findings Most theorized determinants of relapse changed over time in a manner theoretically associated with reduced risk of relapse, except most notably the belief that smoking controls weight, which strengthened. Change in these determinants changed at different rates: from a rapidly asymptoting log function to a less rapidly asymptoting square-root function. Conclusions Variation in patterns of change across time suggests that the relative importance of each factor to maintaining abstinence may similarly vary. Wiley InterScience UK Canada Australia USA Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Province passes bill take tobacco firms/2243421/story.html http://tobacco.org/news/293058.html The Alberta government has passed a bill allowing it to join other provinces in suing tobacco companies to recover billions of dollars in smoking-related health costs and for alleged misrepresentation of their products. Bill 48, Crown's Right of Recovery Act, also enables the government to recoup health-care costs from convicted criminals injured while committing an offence, such as drunk driving or being mauled by a Siberian tiger--a controversial provision that's being questioned by legal experts and opposition parties. The legislation lets the government retrieve costs resulting from "wrongful acts or omissions" by tobacco manufacturers, and could see the province try to snare some of the roughly $500 million in annual health costs associated with tobacco use. But neither Premier Ed Stelmach nor Health Minister Ron Liepert will say when, or if, they'll put the law into use and seek to recoup health-related costs from Big Tobacco. Calgary Herald jfekete@theherald.canwest.com (Jason Fekete, Calgary Herald) Canada Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2009/11/20/calgary-bill-48-tabacco-lawsuits.html http://tobacco.org/news/293056.html Alberta has passed legislation allowing the province to sue criminals and tobacco companies to recover health-care costs. Bill 48, called the Crown's Right Recovery Act, passed on Wednesday. Once the bill is proclaimed law, Alberta could file lawsuits against drunk drivers and those convicted of violent crimes to recover any health-care costs related to their crimes. Alberta could also sue tobacco makers or join existing lawsuits to recover health-care costs for tobacco-related illnesses. Ontario has already launched a $50 billion lawsuit while Quebec is looking to recover $30 billion. CBC News Canada Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=304332&sc=79 http://tobacco.org/news/293024.html If an attempt at certifying a class-action lawsuit over light tobacco products goes up in smoke at the Supreme Court of Appeal, it will not only hurt smokers and ex-smokers, but could affect all consumers. An appeal court panel of justices - Margaret Cameron, Gail Welsh and Charles White - began hearing the case Wednesday and it continues today. Lawyer Ches Crosbie is challenging a decision by the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador which said the class action couldn't be certified because consumers didn't buy their "light" and "mild" tobacco products directly from Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd. Crosbie is accusing the company - which has the largest tobacco sales in this province - of violating provincial trade practices legislation. Rob Cunningham, an Ottawa lawyer for the Canadian Cancer Society who is observing the case, said if the certification doesn't go ahead, it will set a precedent for many consumer products, which are not commonly bought from their manufacturer. St. John's Telegram bsweet@thetelegram.com (BARB SWEET The Telegram ) Canada Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.inews880.com/Channels/Reg/LocalNews/story.aspx?ID=1166941 http://tobacco.org/news/293022.html A coalition of prominent health organizations is applauding the passage of Bill 48. The Crown's Right of Recovery Act allows the Alberta government to sue tobacco companies to recover a portion of healthcare costs related to tobacco use. Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and New Brunswick have already initiated lawsuits against the tobacco industry to recover Medicare costs. Ontario and Quebec are suing for $50 billion and $30 billion respectively. iNews880 CHQT-AM sbenolich@iNews880.com Canada Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2009/19/c3032.html http://tobacco.org/news/293020.html A coalition of prominent health organizations is applauding the Alberta government for passing a bill that will hold tobacco companies accountable for their tremendous impact on the healthcare system. Bill 48, the Crown's Right of Recovery Act, allows the Alberta government to sue tobacco companies to recover the portion of healthcare costs resulting from the tobacco industry's deceptive marketing practices. "We are delighted that the Alberta government has joined with other provinces to hold the tobacco industry accountable for the healthcare impact of its deceptive marketing practices," said Tony Hudson of The Lung Association. "The tobacco industry has an unparalleled track record of deceit, denial, and public harm resulting from decades of marketing the leading avoidable cause of premature death. This bill is a significant achievement for public health, justice and tobacco industry accountability." Alberta is the ninth province to pass legislation to enable Medicare cost recovery lawsuits against tobacco companies. Canada Newswire Canada Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.timminstimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2182095 http://tobacco.org/news/292929.html Cadence Hayes is one of the crusaders who was involved in the push to convince city council to move forward with the idea of the outdoor smoking ban on certain city properties. She says it was a lot of hard work. "We knew it would take some work when we started. We actually thought that the first time we presented to city council, way back in February of this year, we thought it would be passed. It wasn't," the petite blonde student recalled. Timmins Times Canada Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.timminstimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2182088 http://tobacco.org/news/292928.html Acting on the advice of a group of teenagers, Timmins city council has agreed to ban smoking in outdoor spaces in Timmins that are within ten metres of beaches, playgrounds, parks and recreational fields, such as ball diamonds and soccer fields. Council approved third and final reading of a bylaw amendment Monday evening. The vote was solidly in favour of the anti-smoking sentiment with most councilors saying they're confident that the majority of citizens favour the ban and that even those who disagree with it, will obey the ban. The amendment to the bylaw was first suggested last winter by Whisper Out Loud, part of the Youth Action Alliance with the Porcupine Health Unit. Timmins Times Canada Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=303724&sc=79 http://tobacco.org/news/292887.html The Canadian Cancer Society is supporting a court appeal this week that will attempt to start a class action over light cigarettes. In a news release, the society said the Sparkes case proceeding as a class action would provide “necessary access to justice.” Without class-action certification, thousands of consumers in the province would have no practical remedy “as a result of the ‘light’ and ‘mild’ deception,” the society said. The case returns to court Wednesday and Thursday, when the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal will begin hearing arguments as to whether a lawsuit against Imperial Tobacco for deception related to so-called “light” cigarettes should be certified to proceed as a class action. St. John's Telegram telegram@thetelegram.com Canada Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.financialpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=5174a2f5-c582-49da-ba02-b850b3c9c6af http://tobacco.org/news/292862.html The result was Bill C-32, officially titled The Cracking Down on Tobacco Marketing Aimed at Youth Act -- a misnomer if ever there was one. Today, a year later, what Mr. Harper's Conservatives have delivered instead is an over-the-top law that threatens a global trade war and another bonanza for Canada's already out-of-control contraband cigarette market. The trade-war potential gathered momentum earlier this month when, according to Inside US Trade, the United States joined Argentina, Mexico, Switzerland, the European Union and other nations in opposition to Ottawa's new anti-bubble-gum tobacco law. At a meeting in Geneva, the nations said Canada's law would restrict trade in regular tobacco products to the benefit of Canadian tobacco producers. The more immediate impact of the law, however, is a ban on the sale in Canada of virtually all brands of U.S. cigarettes. Guess where that leads? The logical result of a ban on legal imports of Marlboros and Winstons is new demand for illegal supplies through the burgeoning Native-dominated contraband market, a tax-evading multi-billion-dollar industry that already accounts for between 33% to 50% of the Canadian cigarette market. . . . While this may look like another case of unintended consequences run amok, it more likely is part of deliberate scheming by Health Canada officials and others who are consciously using fruit-flavoured smokes to create a global tobacco trade bomb against the U.S. and tobacco industries in Europe, South America and Asia. . . . Still, Bill C-32 became law, even though Senator Segal abstained over the trade issue. As a result, Mr. Harper's opportunistic election gimmick, aimed at curbing the use of flavoured tobacco to children, will do nothing to protect children. By further enhancing the power and scope of the contraband market, it will only increase the supply of illegal cigarettes, a prime source of tobacco to the young. At the same time, the government has launched a protectionist scheme that threatens a trade conflict. Financial Post Canada USA Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2179621 http://tobacco.org/news/292830.html TIMMINS — A smoking-bylaw amendment prohibiting puffing near public beaches, certain playgrounds and recreational fields has been passed by Timmins city council. It has been a topic that has ignited much discussion around the council table since a group of young people from Whisper Out Loud did a presentation. The original suggestion was to prohibit people from smoking within roughly 30 metres of beaches, playgrounds and recreational fields. The amendment passed yesterday establishes that restriction at 10 metres. Sudbury Star Canada Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/FdaimportsCom-1077520.html http://tobacco.org/news/292819.html FDAImports.com reports: the U.S. government is a house divided. While some government officials are fighting for greater restrictions on the sale of tobacco products, others are fighting to prevent any more restrictions and balking at the restrictions that other nations have implemented on tobacco sales. Does the right hand know what the left hand is doing? On November 6, FDA posted a special update on its web site, highlighting what its Center for Tobacco Products has done to implement the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. On the list was the statutory ban on cigarettes containing certain characterizing flavors (other than menthol) that went into effect on September 22, 2009. FDA stated that it is also exploring options for regulating both menthol cigarettes and flavored tobacco products other than cigarettes, in efforts to reduce smoking in America; particularly youth smoking. FDA also established mechanisms for the public to report information about possible violations of the law, and has issued Warning Letters to firms who appear to be in violation of the ban. Meanwhile, at a World Trade Organization meeting last week, U.S. members joined Mexico and 5 other countries in the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade in opposing Canada's ban on flavored tobacco products. These members voiced concerns that the ban was too restrictive, since it bans all tobacco products with even one of the listed additives, and that it would impact various countries' exports. U.S. Senator Jim Benning (R-KY) is using political means to pressure President Obama to fight the Canadian law -- by placing a hold on the nomination of Miriam Shapiro to be deputy trade representative. Market Wire Canada USA Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT