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THE WEEKEND OUTLOOK Friday January Page Features Message aimed at minors during NonSmoking Week By BARBARA RIEGER Canadian Cancer Society Hills Unit Halton Interagency Council on Smoking and Health Herald Special Access of Tobacco Products to Minors is the theme of this years National Non Smoking Week Held January the purpose of the week is to raise public awareness of the dangers of tobacco use and the state of current tobacco legislation especially as it pertains to minors Despite the fact there are laws In Ontario that prevent the selling or giving of tobacco products to persons under the age of studies tell us that 90 per cent of the young people who smoke report they started smoking before the age of 17 A startling per cent tried their first cigarette at years of age or younger A fourth or fifth grade student who tries one or two cigarettes has a 50 per cent chance of becoming a pack smoker as an adult It is during childhood that the pattern of addiction is set for later life The fight against tobac co can be waged by becoming in and informed about the laws that govern the use and distribution of tobacco products to minors It can also be waged by ensuring the laws are enforc ed The following facts issued by the Canadian Council on Smoking and Health should reflect the seriousness of adolescents star ting and continuing to smoke the largest onset of smoking m Canada is among age and younger with close to per cent of young people who smoke starting before the age of based on consumption figures obtained under the Access to In formation Act it is conservative ly estimated that in under the age of 18 smoked over two billion cigarettes representing an annual market of over million according to a Special Study of Youth by C 1988 there are about 500 young people between the ages of who smoke in Canada tobacco is a powerfully ad dictive product A recent land mark S Surgeon Generals report confirmed that nicotine is as addictive as heroin and co caine The Royal Society of Canada has recommended that tobacco use can be classified as nicotine addiction of all the 15yearolds current ly smoking tobacco use will kill eight times more than car ac cidents suicide AIDS murder and drug addiction combined Tobacco is by far the real drug problem public opinion polls indicate that over 80 per cent of Canadians are in support of enforced restnc tions on the sale of tobacco pro ducts to minors environmental tobacco smoke worsens asthma in children Infants of parents who smoke have an increased risk of pneumonia and the S Environmental Pro tection Agency EPA has recently issued a draft report classifying second hand smoke as a class A carcinogen known to cause cancer There are several laws in Canada some old and others re cent which limit the sale and pro motion of tobacco sales to minors The Tobacco Restraint Act was passed the Federal Parliament in 1908 This act prohibits the sale of giving or furnishing of cigarettes and other tobacco pro ducts to persons under years of age Maximum penalties of for the first offense 25 for a se cond offense and for subse quent offenses have never been amended The Act Restricting the Use of Tobacco by Minors changed to the Minors Protection Act was passed in the Ontario Provincial Parliament in 1982 This act makes it illegal to directly sell or give or furnish any type of tobac co products to anyone under the age of 18 The act does not apply if the minor has a note from hisher parent or guardian New penalties including fines between and 500 for individuals and and for corporations It is also illegal for anyone under the age of to sell tobacco pro ducts to anyone regardless of their age Not surprisingly this is not obeyed So in effect if your 16 year old son or daughter works in the corner variety store it is illegal for them to sell tobac products to anyone A retailer is not excused if heshe thought that the minor purchasing the tobacco was of age To ensure compliance photo identification should be required The Tobacco Products Control Act came into effect January 1989 It purpose was to eliminate all forms of tobacco product advertising including print and broadcasting Billboard and transit posters were to be reduced by of their dollar value annually culminating January l 1991 All long term contracts on a retailers premises of trade mark advertising point of sale must end by January 1 Unfortunately foreign publications are exempt unless such advertising is recruited by a Canadian tobacco manufacturer Free distribution of tobacco products or displays of tobacco trademarks are strictly pro hibited All sports and cultural sponsorships by tobacco com panies are restricted to corporate name only with no visible of tobacco products or trademarks In addition these sponsorships must have been in existence since at least All tobacco product packaging must display rotating prominent health messages and list in full the toxic constituents by July 1991 The new warning messages Smoking reduces life Smoking is the major cause of lung cancer Smoking during pregnancy can harm the baby Smoking is addictive Tobacco smoke can harm non smokers Smoking is the ma cause of Stroke Smoking is the major cause of fatal lung disease and Smoking is the major cause of heart disease must appear on the package of all brands of domestic and imported cigarettes The message must be in black and white lettering on the front in both official languages and be per cent of the size of the package The municipalities of Ottawa Metro Toronto Guelph St Catharines Oakville Sudbury Mississauga Windsor just to name a few have put into place a municipal bylaw requir that all tobacco retailers in eluding vending machine owners be licensed Therefore to sell tobacco products or cigarettes you must be licensed and can be fined or lose your license If you violate the Minors Protection Act or the Tobacco Restraint Act A new member of a smokefree generation In Hills was born in Georgetown District Hospital last Monday to begin the National NonSmoking Campaign running from Jan to Jan Jeremy Ryan Anderson weighed six pounds and 12 ounces and his parents are Daniel Anderson and Christine Stoyles of Georgetown The smokefree bib was donated by the local Public Health Office Herald photo by Lisa Boonstoppel Pot Stats Canada figures a 5 per cent decline in the consumption of and cigarette tobac co m this is the largest single year that the decline is continuing with fine loose cut sales also declining significantly Cigarette tobacco consumption per person years of age or older declined almost 30 per cent between 1980 and 1989 The legislation that is in place is not perfect but it is a signifi cant improvement over previous laws We as concerned in should keep abreast of the laws and lobby our municipal provincial and federal politicians for tougher penalties and stricter enforcement Barbara member of the Hills Cancer society has been this week setting up displays advertising Week from J in 1 to Jan Ah who has kicked the smoking habit herself she knows hot important It Is to kick the habit This display was put up In the Georgetown and District Hospital and others were set up In the Georgetown library the Cultural Ccn re as well as Georgetown District High School Herald photo WITH THIS COUPON SAVE OFF THE PURCHASE OF ONE BAB OF Ml target food stores 51 Guelph St GEORGETOWN NEILSONS MILK 99 with Coupon 3 59 without Coupon Valid Only At Target Georgetown Valid thru to Jan 31J81