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Federal Election 2011

Background information

Action on tobacco and smoking

Smoking still exacts a heavy toll on Canadians’ health.

Here are the facts:

  • Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of disease and death in Canada, killing over 45,000 Canadians each year. This accounts for 20% of all deaths in Canada.1 Thousands more die from the effects of second-hand smoke.
  • While smoking rates have come down, fully 18% of Canadian adults and 23% of young people from 20-24 years old are current smokers. 13% of youth aged 15-19 are also smoking.2
  • Smoking rates in First Nations and in Inuit communities remain sky-high at 60% and 70% respectively.
  • Smoking contributes to a wide-range of serious diseases, including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD – chronic bronchitis and emphysema), and cardio-vascular disease. According to the Canadian Medical Association smoking-related disease kills 50% of all long-term users.3
  • Cheap contraband cigarettes are fuelling smoking in Canada, especially among young people. These illegally-produced cigarettes sell for a fraction of the price of normal tobacco products, without any warning labels. Contraband cigarettes currently account for about 17.5% of all cigarettes smoked by adolescent daily smokers in Canada overall, and for more than 25% in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.4

We are making progress, but the battle against smoking is far from won.

The federal government has recently taken several important steps in the fight against tobacco use, including banning the sale of flavoured tobacco products, expanding warning labels on cigarette packages, clamping down on sales of contraband, and extending the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy for one year. But more needs to be done.

The Lung Association is asking all major political parties to commit to continuing action to control tobacco and reduce smoking:

  • Long-term renewal of the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy (FTCS) to ensure ongoing support for critical programs to reduce tobacco use across the country. The FTCS has been responsible many of the great gains over the past decade, reducing the tobacco market by hundreds of thousands of people. Under a renewed strategy there needs to be a special focus on preventing youth smoking and providing support to help long-term smokers quit.
  • Partnerships with First Nations and Inuit communities on effective, appropriate strategies to dramatically reduce smoking rates.
  • Co-ordinated national action against contraband tobacco products, to reduce access to cheap cigarettes.
  • Amendments to tighten up the Cracking Down on Tobacco Marketing Aimed at Youth Act, to stop the tobacco industry from circumventing the law and selling flavoured cigars and cigarellos to young people.

Support the continuing fight against smoking.

Vote for action on lung health!

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References

1    Health Canada, http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/tobac-tabac/legislation/label-etiquette/graph/citydies-villemeurt9-eng.php#a1
2    Health Canada, http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/tobac-tabac/research-recherche/stat/_ctums-esutc_2009/ann_summary-sommaire-eng.php
3    Health Canada, http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fniah-spnia/substan/tobac-tabac/index-eng.php
4    Russell C. Callaghan, PhD, Scott Veldhuizen, BA, Scott Leatherdale, PhD, Donna Murnaghan, MN, and Steve Manske, EdD, CMAJ. 2009 September; 181(6-7): 384–386