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Feb 22

Changes in Winnipeg! Changements à Winnipeg!

Source article: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/smoking-ban-comes-to-light-139567923.html?device=mobile#

For many municipalities, provinces and even countries, tobacco policies have been put in place to try and denormalize the deadly and addictive habit of smoking.  But enforcement has been another issue.  It is often the case when a policy has been put in place, but fails, as no one seems to enforce the rules!

Well in Winnipeg this is starting to change! The city will be beginning to strictly enforce smoking bans on hospital grounds.

Does your community enforce smoking policy?

__________________________________________________

Pour plusieurs municipalités, provinces et pays, les politiques entourant le tabac ont été misent en place pour dénormaliser l’habitude addictive et mourante du fumage de cigarettes.  Mais l’enforcement de ces politiques est un tout autre problème.  C’est souvant le case que les politiques sont en place, mais qu’ils ne sont pas enforcés!

Bonne nouvelle pour Winnipeg, car nous allons voir des changements dans l’enforcement les politiques sur le tabagisme!  La ville va maintenant strictement enforcer ces lois, particulièrement sur le terrain de l’hôpital.

Est-ce que votre communauté enforce ses politiques par rapport au tabac?

Aaron Yanofsky

Feb 12

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YAC/YLT Conference February 2012

DAY ONE/ JOUR UN

The first day was filled with travel for most of us.  We all came together around dinner time, then had our very first meeting with Fay and the new members (luckily, they are great!).  That night, a bunch of us went to check out the snow sculpture displays right across the street from our hotel.
La première journée a été rempli de voyage pour la plupart.  Nous sommes venu ensemble à l’heure du souper, et ensuite nous avons eu notre première rencontre avec Fay et les nouveaux membres (ils sont supère!)  Ce soir, un groupe de nous avons été voir les sculptures de glaces directement en face de notre hotel.

DAY TWO/ JOUR DEUX

We had a lot of consultations today from various groups. We talked about a cessation app, new packaging labels, and biomarkers of exposure to tobacco.  We also had the opportunity to consult with a social media expert who gave us tips for our blog! Do you have any suggestions?  We also, in a moment of insanity, filmed a fantastic video – CHECK IT OUT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpe0fL8XLAs

Nous avons eu beaucoup de consultations aujourd’hui.  Nous avons parlé d’une app pour la cessation, les nouveaux styles d’enveloppage, ainsi que les biomarqueurs de l’exposition au tabac.  Nous avons aussi eu l’opportunité de consulter avec une experte dans les médias sociaux qui nous a donné des conseils par rapport à notre blog.  Avez-vous des suggestions pour nous?  Aussi, dans un moment de folie, nous avons fait un vidéo – REGARDEZ LA TOUT DE SUITE :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpe0fL8XLAs

DAY THREE/ JOUR TROIS

Both the YAC and YLT shared their ideas about future action plans regarding the Better to Breathe campaign. We started filming our public service announcements and had the night to socialise and enjoy Winterlude!

Tous les deux comités ont partagé leurs idées pour l’année prochaine, mettant l’emphase sur le blog Better to Breathe.  Nous avons tous filmés des vidéos, et ensuite nous avons pris la soirée pour socialiser et pour profiter du Bal de Neige!

See our video here :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbwXxVwjFIA&feature=youtu.be

Voir notre vidéo (en français!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79xEsgEps-Q

DAY FOUR/ JOUR QUATRE

That’s it folks, it’s a wrap!

C’est tout pour notre conférence les amis!

For more photos, see the Students Commission of Canada’s facebook page!

Pour voir d’autres photos, allez voir cette page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Students-Commission-of-Canada/171350116223540

♥ Katrina, Nick & Laura

Feb 11

Let us know what you think!

Hi everyone!

We will be throwing out some questions to our visitors and followers over the next few months to get some feedback on the work we have been doing and to make sure you guys are finding the information and posts interesting and engaging! Here is our first one :)

Feb 10

3 Comments

Shisha Tobacco… thoughts?

Hi hi!

So I came upon this interesting article from CBC today and it got me thinking… Shisha Tobacco is a very contested issue and with the practice gaining in popularity lately,  the issue of legality was bound to pop up sooner or later.

Although I am not sure where I stand on this issue, I thought that this may be the best place to throw it out into the inter-webs and see what I get back. PLEASE weigh in… I would love to hear what you have to say! :)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/01/17/pol-smoking-doctors.html

Thanks everyone!

Amy

Feb 7

Smokeless Tobacco…as chewing gum?

Will the next wave of smokeless tobacco products be chewing gum?

Yesterday’s article in the Wall Street Journal is filled with LOTS of important information about one of the world’s largest tobacco companies.   My goal is to sort through all of the economic buzzwords to provide an easy-to-read summary that people of all ages and backgrounds can understand.

WHO:  Altria

-       One of the world’s largest tobacco corporations

-       Previously Philip Morris Companies Inc. but was changed to Altria in 2003

-       Products include tobacco & wine

-       Brand names you might recognize: Marlboro, Peter Jackson, Benson & Hedges, Players

WHAT: Total cigarette volume grew 0.2% while smokeless products volume jumped 9.7%[1]

-       There was an increase in the number of smokeless products being made and sold

-       Examples of smokeless tobacco products include snuff and chewing tobacco

-       Brand names you might recognize: Copenhagen and Skoal

 

WHERE: Altria is based in Henrico County, Virginia, but their products are sold worldwide.

WHY:  There is a growing interest in smokeless tobacco products.

-       New product launches such as Copenhagen’s Wintergreen pouches (see picture for an example of pouches[2]) have also been credited for this increase in sales.

WHAT’S NEXT:  Altria will be working with medical-chewing gum manufacturer Fertin Pharma to develop smokeless tobacco products.

This is not the first time that a tobacco company has been involved with the nicotine-replacement-therapy business (Reynolds American – 2009)[1], but I am concerned that the next wave of tobacco products will come in the form of chewing gum.  Chewing gum is very common, especially among youth.  Not to mention the different flavours, packaging and other marketing tactics that are currently used with regular gum.  Is it a stretch to propose that tobacco companies will collaborate with nicotine-replacement-therapy businesses to sell nicotine gum as the next step in “harm reduction”?  I am supportive of people quitting, but I fear that this could also create new sources of misconception about health risks, and perhaps a gateway tobacco product for youth.

Based on the growing interest and sales in smokeless tobacco products, I would say that this is something to be watchful of in the future.  What do you think?

[1]http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120127-710467.html

[2] http://www.cigarettesflavours.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/low-nicotine-product.jpg

 

Katie M

Feb 7

3 Comments

What do YOU know about Tobacco Manufacturing Companies?

So it’s interesting – tobacco manufacturing companies… what do you know about them?

I bet at least 50% of the readers can tell me about 10 real facts about them for sure, the other 50, well I don’t blame you. They are virtually invisible with names that we don’t hear about… here’s a few.

01.   Philip Morris International : $25,705 million

-          In 2010, Marlboro’s volume outside the United States was 297.4 billion cigarette

-          Main Brands (In Canada): Benson & Hedges, Belmont, Craven A, Rothmans, Canadian Classics, Number 7, Accord, Mark Ten

To learn more about Phillips Morris International (PMI) go to: http://www.pmi.com/marketpages/pages/market_en_ca.aspx

02.   Altria Group : $15,957 million

-          Parent Company of Phillip Morris USA

-          Total government revenues from cigarettes for fiscal year (FY) ending June 30, 2010 amounted to nearly $44.3 billion

-          Same brands as Philip Morris International

To learn more about Altria Group go to:

www.altria.com

03.   Reynolds American : $8,845 million

-          the parent company of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (Camel, Paul Mall), American Snuff Co (Grizzly, Kodiak, Cougar)., LLC (Limited Liability Company), Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc.(Native American Spirit Brand) and Niconovum AB.

-          http://www.niconovum.se/”Zonnic” it’s a nicotine replacement therapy company in Sweden

To learn more about Reynolds American, visit:

http://www.rjrt.com/aboutus.aspx

http://www.americansnuff.com/

http://www.sfntc.com/Our-Story/Overview.aspx

http://www.universalcorp.com/

04.   Universal : $2,186 million

-           loose leaf tobacco company

-          Grown globally

-          It is difficult to measure who they sell to because it is raw tobacco from the field and tobacco manufacturers that was undisclosed

05.   Alliance One International : $2,019 million

-          Loose leaf tobacco company

-          Serves tobacco manufacturers globally

So, these are the top five tobacco manufacturers  in 2009 and that’s what they made that year…

What I have learned from going over these companies is that – the site I found the top five is in America. I found out that all of them are super involved in stock markets, some companies have investments in anything from alcohol to nicotine replacements, and the study was completely ambiguous. There is so much to dig into when finding out where this tobacco companies are up to.

One thing I know for sure –they pry on youth because of the high death rate caused by cigarettes… do you think someone who’s been smoking are interested in cool new packs? It is supposed to contradict the messages that you may become desensitized to… interesting, I know!

So go ahead, join the fun… what are some things you wanna tell us all about where this tobacco is coming from? What’s it doing to the earth? How many people does this industry employ in Canada or a third world country?

Let’s put em’ on blast, cuz, well… it’s better to breathe

 

Jan 23

National Non Smoking Week 2012
1 Comment

National Non Smoking Week – Semaine nationale sans fumée!

Hello/Bonjour!

Happy National Non Smoking week, everyone! Did you know this has been going on for 35 years now?  This year’s theme, as mentioned in a couple of previous posts, was “Breaking up is hard to do”.  We all know that leaving bad relationships, though most often difficult, is always for the better.  And remember, you’ve got plenty of support!  In honour of the end of this momentous week, here’s a look at some interesting tobacco facts from the last 100 years.

Joyeux semaine nationale sans fumée!  Saviez-vous qu’on célèbre cette semaine depuis 35 ans déjà?! Cette année le thème était « Dur, dur de rompre mais il faut mettre fin à cette relation malsaine ».  On le sait bien que les relations abusives peuvent être difficile à terminer, mais que c’est toujours le bon choix!  N’oublie pas – tu as plein de support!  En honeur de cette semaine remarquable, voici un aperçu de quelques faits intéressants de les dernières 100 années.

1912

Dr. Isaac Adler is the first to suggest a clear connection between smoking and lung cancer.

Dr. Isaac Adler est le premier à suggérer un lien fort entre le cancer des poumons et le fumage.

1922

Cigarettes begin outselling all other tobacco products in the United States.

Les cigarettes se vendent plus que tout autres produits de tabac aux États-Unis.

1932

The Zippo company is founded by George G. Blaisdell.  The lighter is imported from Austria, and finds it name from a recent invention – the zipper.

Le companie de Zippo est fondé par George G. Blaisdell.  Le briquet est importé de l’Autriche et trouve son nom d’une invention récente – le fermeture éclair (Zipper en anglais).

1942

Brown & Williamson Corp. claims that Kools brand cigarettes would keep the head clear and/or give extra protection against colds.

Le companie Brown & Williamson disent que leur cigarettes Kools te purifirait la tête et/ou te donnerait de la protection contre les rhumes.

1952

 Good Housekeeping refuses to put cigarette ads in their magazines.

 Good Housekeeping refuse de mettre des advertisements de cigarettes dans leur revues.

1962

The Surgeron General’s Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health’s 10 members have their first meeting.

Les 10 membres du comité consultatif du ministère de la santé sur le fumage et la santé ont leur première réunion.

1972

Health warnings, commonly seen today, are officially required on all tobacco advertisements, direct mail and point-of-sale
material.

Les messages d’avertissements, qui sont commune de nos jours, sont officellement requis sur les annonces publicitaire et les produits de tabac

1982

The most cigarettes ever sold in the US in one year occurred this year - 624 billion cigarettes.

Le plus grand montant de cigarettes vendu pendant une année aux États-Unis sont vendu pendant 1982 – 624 milliards.

1992

The nicotine patch is introduced to the public.

Le timbre à la nicotine sont présenté au public.

2002

New York City’s mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg, pleas to the city council’s Committee on Health to pass a ban on indoor smoking
in public locations, including all bars and restaurants in their city.  See his speech here:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2002b/testimony101002.html

Le maire de la ville de New York, Michael R. Bloomberg, demande au Comité de Santé du conseil municipal d’interdire le fumage à l’intérieur des lieu publics, incluant même les restaurants et bars.  Son discours est disponible à ce lien: http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2002b/testimony101002.html (en anglais seulement!)

2012

Let us see!

Nous verrons!

Can you believe they used babies to convince people this was a good thing? Peux-tu croire qu'ils ont utilisé des bébés pour vendre leur produits?

We’ve sure come a long way in the last century, and I am very hopeful for what lies ahead!  Let us know what you’ve done to celebrate this last week.  What is your favourite interesting fact?

On a sûrement fait beaucoup de progrès dans le dernier siècle, et je suis très confiante pour le futur!  Laisses nous savoir ce que vous aviez fait cette semaine.  C’est quoi votre fait préféré?

<3
Katrina

References/ Références:

http://www.tobacco.org/

http://nnsw.ca/

http://archives.cbc.ca/

Jan 17

“Break it Off” campaign now LIVE!

Monday blues? maybe this will help…

The new Break it Off  Campaign from the Canadian Cancer Society has officially launched and is now live!

http://www.breakitoff.ca/

Check out the site, download the app, share with friends! Join the world’s biggest break up with smoking!

Ps… it’s National Non-Smoking week, what better way to celebrate than to share our blog on your facebook and twitter? DO IT!

Lot’s of love,

Amy

Poster – Check it out!

Jan 13

1 Comment

“Break it Off” Campaign – check it out!

Hello blog world!

I have been wanting to connect with all of you much more than I have been… but I have been very very busy! We just bought a house and have been on a mad renovating spree… weeooo! That being said, the quest for a tobacco free world continues… and I have some very exciting news!

The Canadian Cancer Society is launching a brand new tobacco cessation program for young adults TODAY! (or yesterday, depending on when this makes it online ;) ). The “Break It Off” campaign will be taking place in 6 provinces (SK, MB, ON, NB, NS, and PEI) and will be encouraging young adult smokers to break up with smoking once and for all. I had the chance to preview some of the elements of the campaign a few months ago and the idea behind it is actually quite brilliant! They are describing the relationship between the smoker and the smoking as an unhealthy and unsustainable and are therefore urging the smoker’s to part ways with their partner (tobacco) and move on to someone who is better suited to their needs (healthier lifestyle choices). There will also be a Facebook component to the campaign where participants can change their relationship status and declare to the FB community their newly acquired smoke-free status. There will also be an app for iPhone and Android, a website, and a YouTube component. The similarities between tobacco use and an unhealthy relationship are really striking and I applaud the very witty minds who came up with the concept for this campaign… Bravo!

I am writing this blog post ahead of the actual launch (the website and other components are not quite live yet) SO I will be following up as soon as possible to post all the links and additional info you guys might need to participate in this great initiative! Hopefully this program will be very successful and eventually promoted in ALL the provinces and territories!

Also new this month, the January 2012 issue of Tobacco-info is now available here www.tobaccoinfo.ca/mag8/mag8.pdf.

I want to wish all of our followers a big, giant HAPPY NEW YEAR and I hope that 2012 is filled with health, happiness, and a tobacco-free life.

A la prochaine :)

Amy
“Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change – this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress.”

Jan 11

Quit smoking in 2012 with the WoulduRather Contest! You could win $1000/$500/$250/$100!

The WoulduRather Contest is back for 2012!

Pfizer has partnered up with Leave the Pack Behind to present this great contest that might help you get a jump start on those plans to quit. (Making a plan is the most important part!)

Who couldn’t use a little extra cash after the holiday season? If you’re currently enrolled in a post secondary institution in Ontario, you’re eligible to apply for any one their four contests! Heavy smokers to social smokers, you all have a chance to win at your own specific contest.

There are 4 contests and 4 grand prizes.

Quit For Good
Quit completely and win $1000.00!

Keep the Count
Cut down your use by 50% and win $500.00!

Party Without the Smoke
Don’t smoke with alcohol and win $250.00!

Don’t Start and Win
Stay smoke free and win $100.00!

All different levels of smokers are eligible for the grand prizes! Also, assign one of your friends to be your “buddy” to keep you on track and they could win great prizes too!

Check out Leave the Pack Behind and register for the contest here!

Let us know how you did and we will share your stories!

Happy New Year!

Best,
Ashley

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