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Posts from the ‘Community Updates’ Category

Mar 5

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Getting to Know the British Columbian Smoker

British Columbia has been known to have some of the lowest smoking rates in Canada and is often celebrated because of its healthy lifestyle.  However, there is still room for improvement in this western province! The B.C Lung Association found some inspiring statistics when they surveyed British Columbian smokers. The official report is called Making Quit Happen: Canada’s Challenges to Smoking Cessation.

  • 81% of BC smokers have tried to quit smoking; the average number of attempts was 7
  • When asked to rate their desire to quit on a scale (1 meaning they did not want to be smoke-free and 10 meaning they definitely did want to be smoke free) the average was 7.2
  • 77% are concerned about the health impacts of smoking
  • 89% believe that quitting is possible

So what’s holding them back? There are the obvious reasons, such as the habits and cravings, but the report also discovered a less apparent cause- one that takes into account the role of the physician.

  • 84% of BC smokers believe that their doctor should help with the quitting process
  • However, only 38% of British Columbians discussed quitting with their doctors, and less than 20%  conversed about cessation with another health care professional, in the past two years
  • Merely 4% of BC doctors are trained in smoking cessation counselling and only 9% of those physicians are reimbursed for their efforts

The recommendation to fix this issue is to circulate more smoking cessation training to health care professionals, especially in areas with high smoking rates. This report also included other tips that could significantly increase the number of quitters in British Columbia, for example lowering costs of cessation medication and expanding access to cessation programs.

So while BC is leading the pack in many regards, this beautiful province still has the ability to improve tremendously in their smoking related efforts.

-Maggie

To read the full report, visit http://www.bc.lung.ca/smoking_and_tobacco/smoking_cessation.html

Jan 30

smoke free workplace

This is a Smoke Free Workplace

Although it is illegal to smoke inside a public building, employees are still entitled to smoke breaks outside in designated areas.

Good health is not only important at home, but also in the workplace. Employers can encourage a healthy working environment by taking steps to aid smoking cessation. Health Canada outlines the benefits of employers taking a proactive stance towards employee health and asserts that cessation improves employee health, it increases employee productivity, reduces costs, enhances job satisfaction, creates a more positive working atmosphere, as well as gives the company a better corporate image.

The Canadian Cancer Society’s study on “Effective Workplace Tobacco Cessation Interventions” pinpointed the importance of a Quit Smoking Buddy System. Having a non-smoking/ex-smoker friend that checks up on your cessation progress twice a week is incredibly helpful in keeping you on track and meeting your goals. Employers can supply their employees with information and the tools to help everyone in the work environment can benefit from a non-smoking environment.

The Lung Association states that “workplaces can have the greatest impact on people’s health” and that everyone can help improve the health and wellness of those in their workplace through an action plan. The Lung Association advises employers to include the tools for quitting in places like internal emails, posters and information sheets in staff rooms and stapled to pay slips, and in employee newsletters. Studies across the board agree that positive encouragement, support, and a quitting plan are useful tools in cessation.

Do you work in an environment that would benefit from a smoking cessation action plan? Do you have employees who you could give cessation tools to? Could you approach your employer or HR representative about helping improve the environment of your workplace? What programs can you implement to help encourage coworkers to quit smoking?

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/pubs/tobac-tabac/cessation-renoncement/index-eng.php#a3.1

http://goo.gl/r3Nht

http://www.ab.lung.ca/sitewyze/files/Corporate_Pitch_Package.pdf

-Michelle

Jan 15

hi-smoking-cp-3489963-6col

6 Provinces Suing Big Tobacco | 6 Provinces Poursuivent les Compagnies de Tabac

 

Did you know that Manitoba, B.C., Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI are all filing law suits against Big Tobacco to try and recuperate health care costs spent by governments?

 

What are your thoughts on this?

 

I think it is great that provincial governments are taking a stab at Big Tobacco; this will ultimately make the lives of Big Tobacco a little more hectic.  On the other hand, our provincial governments have been collecting taxes from tobacco consumers for years.  So will governments seem hypocritical?  Obviously taxing the consumer is a form of recuperating the health care spending of the provincial governments; maybe consumers taxes will diminish or disappear if the provinces can win this court case?  And if they win, will the governments share the pot with its citizens?

-Aaron

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Saviez-vous que les provinces de Manitoba, Colombie-Britannique, Saskatchewan, Nouveau Brunswick, Nouvelle-Écosse et l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard font des dépôts de plaintes contre les compagnies de Tabac, afin de recouvrir de l’argent dépensé sur les frais médicaux par les gouvernements?

Que pensez-vous de ces actions?

Je crois que c’est super ce qu’ils font, les gouvernements provinciaux, pour rendre la vie des compagnies un peu plus trépidante! En revanche, les gouvernements provinciaux recueillent des taxes des consommateurs des produits de tabac pour plusieurs années maintenant.  Est-ce qu’ils vont être considéré hypocrites?   Bien sûr la taxation des produits aident à recouvrir les coûts médicaux; peut-être les taxes diminueront or disparaitront si les provinces gagnent le procès?  Et s’ils gagnent, est-ce que l’argent sera partagé avec les citoyens?

-Aaron

 

 

 

Article being referenced/ Article en référence: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/05/31/mb-manitoba-sues-tobacco-companies-winnipeg.html

Jan 10

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“EU plans tougher tobacco health warnings”

I find it interesting to see what’s happening around the world compared to Canada in the world of tobacco control. An example like this makes me proud to be living in a country where we already have tougher legislation re: health warnings. Go, Canada! I think it’s fantastic that the EU is moving in the same direction.

Burning cigarette

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20783263

A little farther round the globe, Australia has moved to completely plain packaging. This. Is. Amazing.

An example of what cigarette packets in Australia may look like

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20559585

What kind of legislation do you have in your corner of the world?

Katie H.

Dec 9

Spaces and Places and Smoking; Questioning the Designated Smoking Areas and Purchasing Locations

Beginning in 1994, Canadian provinces began banning the sales of tobacco products in places that include a pharmacy. Every province except British Columbia. Unlike other provinces, the B.C. government has decided not to change the laws to prohibit these tobacco sales. Pharmacies are locations allocated to people’s health and well-being, an image tarnished by the presence of tobacco; however, studies also indicate that people do not associate tobacco with health related pharmaceutical products even if they are located within a pharmacy.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/BC/ID/2308720451/

Is there a socially acceptable normative location for tobacco sales? A cigarette has the same number of toxins whether you buy it at a corner store or a pharmacy location, so the question becomes one of association. Is it more likely that someone will associate a cigarette with harm if its location is less credible? If someone can buy a cigarette in a store that also has a pharmacy, would someone perhaps see the cigarette as being less harmful? Or is there no correlation?

The places for smokers to use tobacco products have become increasingly taboo over the last decade. The designated smoking areas have become less available, and restrictions on tobacco purchasing have become stricter as the harmful effects of tobacco have become more widely known. Society has declared the space of smoking to be as equal in toxicity as the cigarette itself. This means that the air around that space is viewed, figuratively and literally, as less clean and it is not a positive space, but instead, the smokers pit has become a recognizable space for tobacco users to huddle in masses. Does this socially constructed space of toxic rebellion and smoky rejection add to the appeal of smoking to new youth smokers? Is there something alluring about the space of smoking as opposed to the act of smoking itself? Is there a way to dismantle the allure of this space? Is there a way to illustrate the idea that not only is the act of ‘not cool’ because of its negative health effects, but also that the allure of the spaces of smoking is illusory.

-Michelle Barron

Oct 14

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10, 000 Hits | 10 000 Visiteurs

That’s right – we have officially passed the 10,000 hits mark on the blog!! What an INCREDIBLE success this has been.
We would like to thank you all so much for your support, and hope you continue to keep checking back with us… because we’ve got great things in store for you!  As a thank you for helping us reach this milestone, here is a video we prepared, just for you, over the weekend.

Check ça! Nous avons surpassé 10 000 visiteurs sur notre blog!! Nous sommes choyé de ce succès, et tellement reconnaissant de votre support.  Pour vous remercier, nous avons préparé une vidéo!  On espère que vous continuez de vérifier notre site, car nous avons des nouveautés qui s’en viennent!

<3 YAC/YLT  | CAJ/ÉDJA

Oct 13

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YAC/YLT conference, October 2012! | Conférence CAJ/ÉDJA, Octobre 2012

Today is the wrap up of the most recent YAC and YLT conference. It has been a productive weekend as our team learned the important steps of Health Canada’s Quit4Life program. Each member is now fully equipped to host Quit4Life seminars. Armed with new skills, our team is excited to implement new programs within their communities. As this is the close to a positive conference, the YAC and YLT members are confident that the knowledge we take home will aid our efforts in not only promoting awareness for tobacco effects,  but also implementing programs that will provide help to those who wish to quit.

The YAC and YLT would like to thank the honourable Leona Aglukkaq for taking the time out of her schedule to attend one of the conference days. She engaged the group in topics including smoking cessation and social media. The productiveness of the meeting resulted in a reluctance to conclude the discussions.

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Aujourd’hui nous finissons une autre conférence CAJ et ÉDJA.  Nous avons appris beaucoup, et notre équipe a même connu les étapes importantes pour le programme de Santé Canada, Vie100Fumer.  Chaque membre est maintenant qualifié dans ce programme et peut l’offrir dans leur communauté.  Comme nous arrivons à la fin de cette belle fin de semaine, les membres du CAJ et de l’ÉDJA sont confiants dans leurs capacités et les connaissances qu’ils emporteront dans leur quête pour partager des informations sur le tabagisme.

Le CAJ et ÉDJA aimeraient dire un GRAND merci à l’honorable Leona Aglukkaq d’avoir pris le temps de son horaire pour nous visiter lors de notre conférence.  Elle nous a engagés dans une discussion sur plusieurs sujets concernant des jeunes canadiens, tels que la cessation de fumage et les médias sociaux.  La productivité de cette rencontre a résulté dans une réticence de finir la discussion.

Oct 10

Photo by Kyle Gennings, Timmins Daily Press

Timmins Hospital Butts Out | Aucun Fumage à l’Hôpital de Timmins

In reference to this article published in the Timmins Daily Press lately, I would like to congratulate the Timmins & District Hospital for taking a step in the right direction for their patients.  Recently, a by-law was passed which would see anyone who is smoking on hospital property fined $225.  Thank you for your commitment to health for all!

En référence à cet article (anglais seulement) publié dans le journal Daily Press de Timmins, j’aimerais féliciter l’hôpital de Timmins et du district pour leur décision de mettre en place une loi qui fait en sorte qu’une personne trouvé à fumer sur la propriété de l’hôpital recevra une amende de 225$.  Merci pour votre engagement à la santé de tous!

<3

Katrina

Sep 25

Tobacco Plain Packaging

Plain packaging review in the UK

I came across this article from earlier this summer on BBC News, and thought it was an interesting read! I find it fascinating comparing Canada’s policies and practices with those in other countries, and this is a prime example.

J’ai trouvé cet article qui a été publié par BBC News cet été, et j’ai beaucoup aimé ça!  J’aime bien comparer les politiques du Canada avec ceux des autres pays, et ceci en est un exemple parfait. (Je m’excuse, mais l’article est en anglais!)

Plain cigarette packs review ends

 

“Plain packaging is seen by campaigners as the next step in discouraging young people from taking up smoking. It could mean every sign of individual brands, from their logo, colour or typeface, being replaced by standard packaging simply carrying warnings and the name of the cigarettes.”

Des paquets de cigarettes uniformes sont ceux sans les logos de marques des compagnies qui les produisent.  Essentiellement, c’est le gouvernement qui décide de l’apparence des paquets, tels que la couleur, la police et les avertissements, afin de prévenir l’attraction de nos jeunes aux esthétiques des cigarettes.

Any thoughts on this plain packaging concept?

Que pensez-vous des paquets uniformes?

-Katie H.

p.s. The image below is what the plain packaging is going to look like in Australia.

L’image ci-dessous est un exemple des paquets qui seront en circulation en Australie.

Sep 5

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Thank You for Smoking

Check out the trailer of this movie, Thank You for Smoking.

I just stumbled upon it courtesy of a friend and watched it a few days ago. It is a truly enjoyable satire (4 out of 5 stars on IMDB).

The main character, Nick Naylor is a cunning yet very likeable lobbyist for the tobacco industry in the States. It follows his journey as a widely hated public figure, advocating for the rights of the tobacco industry. In the movie, he is credited with the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

There are many compelling satirical arguments made throughout the movie that proved to be extremely entertaining while also enlightening.

One of my favourite moments of the movie is when Nick Naylor, the main character and lobbyist criminalizes the well intentioned Senator played by William H. Macy because he shuts down a tobacco farm and then proceeds to advocate for local farmers later that day.

If you want to see some clever spin control, watch this!

Enjoy!

-Ashley

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