Here we go:
MPP lobbied for ban on chew tobacco
By Francis Baker
February 26th, 2008
Local MPP Ted Arnott receives a postcard petition from Wellington Dufferin Guelph Health Unit youth peer leaders last week.
News Express/Francis Baker
Hundreds of people in Centre Wellington have signed a postcard petition calling on the province to ban the sale of “chew and spit” tobacco products.
Last week, a group of youth peer leaders with the local office of the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health Unit presented the 357 postcards to local MPP Ted Arnott as part of a province-wide lobby. Another 300 cards signed by Palmerston and Mount Forest area residents are going to Perth Wellington MPP John Wilkinson.
“We want to ban the sale of chew tobacco in Ontario,” said Ryan Martin as the petition was presented. “The tobacco industry markets these products to seem harmless, because there’s no smoke.”
Chew tobacco products with flavours like cherry are being specifically marketed to youth, in magazines and entertainment newspapers directed at young people, he said.
Last week, youth leaders from health units across the province were presenting thousands of signed postcards to provincial members of parliament as part of the lobby.
Jenni Jenkins, a youth advisor with the local health unit, says young people have noticed an increasing trend in smokeless tobacco use by young people, especially among male sports team members.
The products have a lot more nicotine than cigarettes and can be more addictive, she said. “One chew that would last for 30 minutes has the same nicotine as four cigarettes — and most people wouldn’t smoke four cigarettes in half an hour.”
The petition postcards point out that chew and spit tobacco products have no safe level of use, and have been shown to cause oral cancer, heart disease and gum disease.
Candy flavours and product placement in youth-oriented media show the industry is creating and marketing the products directly at young people, the cards state.
MPP Arnott thanked the group for their efforts and accepted the stacks of postcards, which he said he’ll forward to health minister George Smitherman when he’s back at Queen’s Park.
“I’ve always taken petitions very very seriously as an expression of political belief,” Arnott said, and outlined how they can be presented or read into the legislature.
He said he was certain the health ministry would be in favour of discouraging any kind of tobacco use among young people, and is taking steps to try and discourage young people from smoking.
“Clearly I think more has to be done at the provincial and federal level that would limit this kind of marketing strategy,” he said. The health unit’s youth leaders help young people become more aware of advertising and marketing so they can make educated choices about their health, Jenkins said.
A June 2007 Supreme Court of Canada decision ruled limits on tobacco advertising laid down in the 1997 Tobacco Act violated freedom of expression — but added they were a valid limit on commercial speech rights because of a need to protect public health. Tobacco companies said the decision gave them a small opportunity to resume advertising to adults, but said new advertising would be limited.
The court ruling left restrictions banning ads appealing to young people or that make smoking look glamorous, exciting, or daring. Jenkins said there hasn’t been a large-scale advertising campaign for tobacco products, but she’s noticed smokeless tobacco product advertising in what she calls youth-oriented magazines and other media
MPP lobbied for ban on chew tobacco
By Francis Baker
February 26th, 2008
Local MPP Ted Arnott receives a postcard petition from Wellington Dufferin Guelph Health Unit youth peer leaders last week.
News Express/Francis Baker
Hundreds of people in Centre Wellington have signed a postcard petition calling on the province to ban the sale of “chew and spit” tobacco products.
Last week, a group of youth peer leaders with the local office of the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health Unit presented the 357 postcards to local MPP Ted Arnott as part of a province-wide lobby. Another 300 cards signed by Palmerston and Mount Forest area residents are going to Perth Wellington MPP John Wilkinson.
“We want to ban the sale of chew tobacco in Ontario,” said Ryan Martin as the petition was presented. “The tobacco industry markets these products to seem harmless, because there’s no smoke.”
Chew tobacco products with flavours like cherry are being specifically marketed to youth, in magazines and entertainment newspapers directed at young people, he said.
Last week, youth leaders from health units across the province were presenting thousands of signed postcards to provincial members of parliament as part of the lobby.
Jenni Jenkins, a youth advisor with the local health unit, says young people have noticed an increasing trend in smokeless tobacco use by young people, especially among male sports team members.
The products have a lot more nicotine than cigarettes and can be more addictive, she said. “One chew that would last for 30 minutes has the same nicotine as four cigarettes — and most people wouldn’t smoke four cigarettes in half an hour.”
The petition postcards point out that chew and spit tobacco products have no safe level of use, and have been shown to cause oral cancer, heart disease and gum disease.
Candy flavours and product placement in youth-oriented media show the industry is creating and marketing the products directly at young people, the cards state.
MPP Arnott thanked the group for their efforts and accepted the stacks of postcards, which he said he’ll forward to health minister George Smitherman when he’s back at Queen’s Park.
“I’ve always taken petitions very very seriously as an expression of political belief,” Arnott said, and outlined how they can be presented or read into the legislature.
He said he was certain the health ministry would be in favour of discouraging any kind of tobacco use among young people, and is taking steps to try and discourage young people from smoking.
“Clearly I think more has to be done at the provincial and federal level that would limit this kind of marketing strategy,” he said. The health unit’s youth leaders help young people become more aware of advertising and marketing so they can make educated choices about their health, Jenkins said.
A June 2007 Supreme Court of Canada decision ruled limits on tobacco advertising laid down in the 1997 Tobacco Act violated freedom of expression — but added they were a valid limit on commercial speech rights because of a need to protect public health. Tobacco companies said the decision gave them a small opportunity to resume advertising to adults, but said new advertising would be limited.
The court ruling left restrictions banning ads appealing to young people or that make smoking look glamorous, exciting, or daring. Jenkins said there hasn’t been a large-scale advertising campaign for tobacco products, but she’s noticed smokeless tobacco product advertising in what she calls youth-oriented magazines and other media
Comment