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News: Canada cuts funding to anti-tobacco programs

The Canadian government announced Tuesday it would cut $15 million from federally-funded tobacco control programs.

According to a press release issued by Health Canada, smoking rates are at an all-time low in Canada, at 17 percent of the population. But tobacco still kills 37,000 Canadians every year and is the number one cause of preventable disease and death.

The Canadian Cancer Society is “strongly opposed” to the funding cuts. In the society’s news release, they attribute the 8 percent reduction in adult smoking rates from 1999 to 2010 to the work of Health Canada’s Federal Tobacco Control Strategy (FTCS).

According to Health Canada, anti-tobacco programs and services will be re-directed towards high-risk groups, such as Aboriginal populations where smoking rates are as high as 50 percent.

But what about the general population? Is targeting high risk groups enough?

A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that anti-tobacco television advertisements were effective in reducing adult and youth smoking rates. State, private and pharmaceutical-funded ads were correlated with less smoking, while ads by the tobacco industry were linked to more smoking - even if they weren't deliberately promoting the act.

But as reported by Science Daily, the lead author of the study Sherry Emery said, “Our data suggests that it may not matter what you say to people, just that you're saying it a lot.”

If we target anti-tobacco interventions towards high-risk groups, will the general population forget the ‘tobacco will kill you’ message?

What do you think about the funding cuts to tobacco control?

—Amy Crofts, web intern

Posted by onFriday, April 20th, 2012 - 3:00pm

14 Comments

Hello to all!
I often wonder how the anti-tobacco association gets away with advertising that there is a population of large towns dying of tobacco use every month, thirty some years ago, People died of natural causes, but today it seems there is no more natural causes of death, according to the anti-tobacco association, there is more people dying of smoking in this Beautiful Country, then there is people dying a month all together here in this Country, So where is all the others coming from? There fore something doesn't add up here, In my opinion that is a huge scam! And I've been told a pack of Cigarettes is 10 Dollars a pack, there is really no wonder so many people buying Native Smokes for less then 1/4 the price, I say each Individual to them self, lower the cost of Smokes to a reasonable Price and continue collecting the Taxes, In the end will make us all happy.

Submitted by Frank Wieb on Sat, 2012-04-21 10:58pm.

Smokers have paid the most into our Health Care System, so what's the beef?

Government has NO right to interfere in something that is LEGAL !!!!

Submitted by weehotpie on Sat, 2012-04-21 8:12pm.

Anti Tobacco Funding?? Wow. How about anti fast food funding, anti soda pop funding, anti people that stress other people out funding, anti fat on your meat and chicken skin funding. More money to fund another aboriginal program, big surprise there. Smokers have paid enough taxes, they could die 10 times and still not spend on health care, what they've paid already on cigarette taxes.

Submitted by pat on Sat, 2012-04-21 6:43pm.

The Government is playing both sides of the fence when it comes to Tobacco and Alcohol. The taxes taken are a major portion of the final cost. The taxes account for over 50% of the consumer cost and that then just goes to the general coffers in Ottawa. If the Government was serious about the tobacco issue and Health care then Tobacco would be outlawed along with Marijauna. Ottawa talks the talk when it comes to health and tobacco but sure won't want to loose the revenue that Tobacco brings in. My two cents.

Submitted by Andreas Patersdorfer on Sat, 2012-04-21 6:34pm.

It is about time that the funding was cut. While it is amazing to see that the adult population of smokers has significantly dwindled since the advent of the programs, it is absolutely amazing that the numbers of attributable deaths to lung cancer and heart attacks never correlates to this reduction. Further, while the number of adult smokers has dropped off the face of the earth, the number of children suffering from asthma is on a steady increase. Is it possible that the numbers may be skewed to facilitate continued funding of programs that are not truthful in their statistical datasets.

Submitted by Vinnie on Sat, 2012-04-21 6:30pm.

HAHA

Submitted by rick shard on Sat, 2012-04-21 6:01pm.

What will they think of next? It boggles the mind...
As disgusted as I've become by our federal government (which I refuse to refer to as the "Harper Government" - they have no right to insist we do that), this new move stuns me even more than the last... and the last few have been pretty bad!
What an embarrassment!

Submitted by JenC on Sat, 2012-04-21 5:57pm.

Obesity is the no 1 killer & strain on health care,not smoking! Do you want to put pictures of fat asses on Mc Donalds burgers! Stupid people ,quit the lies.We all know your full o shite!

Submitted by ME on Sat, 2012-04-21 4:26pm.

Gee. that's another 15 million for harper isn't it?

Submitted by Gradysdad on Sat, 2012-04-21 3:58pm.

How many deaths in Canada where ALCOHOL is involved? Why is there no focus on that DRUG? Could it be because Big Brother likes the taste?

Many hundreds of thousands a year, through disease, accident, and violence. Alcohol makes you lose your rules of behavior (social inhibitions) and do things which are not sensible, legal, and good for your future.

50 die each day so do the math.

Submitted by Betty Jo on Sat, 2012-04-21 3:40pm.

The government makes a lot of money taxing tobacco.

Eliminating / reducing the consumption of tobacco will leave a big hole to fill in the General Tax account.

I'm thinking the Federal Government has a major conflict of interest here. But remember they always have the best interests of the population at heart.

Submitted by Ann on a Mouse on Sat, 2012-04-21 3:24pm.

Perhaps the tobaccos companies have stopped funding the Conservatives and Harper wants that money . . . nah, that's too cynical

Submitted by Gerry on Sat, 2012-04-21 3:20pm.

Good - that's one less radical group to waste money on. There is no end for the brainwashed anti smoking radical fanatical advocates and their agenda while they ride their band wagon of poking their noses into my enjoyment. Unfortunately they will continue to make noise - Im sure !

Submitted by Tom M on Sat, 2012-04-21 3:04pm.

Typical of this guverment they just don't give a damm about the health of it's citizens . Surprise ,surprise. Guess they want thetax dollars .

Submitted by Lewis Garnier on Sat, 2012-04-21 11:14am.

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