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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, Ja nu ar y 9, 20 20 | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca newsroom@theifp.ca IndependentAndFreePress @IFP_11 WHO WE ARE Publisher Kelly Montague Regional General Manager Steve Foreman Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Distribution Representative Iouliana Polar Real Estate Kristie Pells Regional Production Manager Manuel Garcia Production Shelli Harrison Halton Media General Manager Vicki Dillane CONTACT US The Independent & Free Press 280 Guelph Street, Unit 77 Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1 Phone: 905-873-0301 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Fax: 905-873-0398 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at theifp.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail lpolar@miltoncanadianchampion.com or call 905-234-1019. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT THEIFP.CA Health Canada's new measures to curb youth vap- ing are akin to fighting a house fire with a garden hose. After months and months of studies and consulta- tions, and years of health organizations sounding the alarm on the dangers of vaping, the agency an- nounced it is planning to ban e-cigarette promotions from convenience stores, public transit and all social media platforms. That's all to the good. But, unbelievably, it isn't yet ready to follow the recommendations of numerous health experts and restrict the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes or set limits on nicotine levels. This tepid response comes as the government also announced that the number of students in grades 7 to 12 who have used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days dou- bled in the last year. But according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the government's go-slow approach is "to leave room for proper science. We're a government that works on evidence-based decisions." Really? How about this for evidence: a recent survey con- ducted by Smoke-Free Nova Scotia found 96 per cent of 16- to 18-year-olds who vaped said they preferred flavoured products. Further, many said they would likely stop vaping if flavours were eliminated. The tobacco giants who sell vaping products have been able to keep government regulations at bay by insisting they need to be able to provide a range of flavours to encourage existing adult smokers to change over to a safer product. But it's getting tough- er to buy that argument. First, e-cigarettes are now being blamed for caus- ing pulmonary illnesses in a handful of cases in Can- ada and more than 2,000 cases in the U.S. including at least 47 deaths. Second, does the government really believe the tobacco giants are actually trying to lure adult smokers to e-cigarettes with flavours such as cherry cheesecake and strawberry ice cream? Doctors and health organizations such as the On- tario Medical Association, the Canadian Cancer Society and Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobac- co have been warning governments for years about the health risks posed by e-cigarettes. This is not some far-off threat. For the first time in 30 years the number of teens who reported smok- ing is up. The time to prevent more kids from getting hooked is now. But for some reason the federal government is taking its own sweet time and unconscionably let- ting Big Tobacco put the health of young people at risk. The Trudeau government says it will look at other measures to curb vaping this year. That's what they said last year. And that's clearly not good enough, fast enough. It's time to put out this three-alarm fire with every measure available before more kids get hooked on nicotine and cigarettes and end up in hospital on ventilators, or worse. OTTAWA MUST DO MORE TO CURB YOUTH VAPING SNAPSHOT A black squirrel searches for food in a Georgetown backyard. Got a great local photo you'd like to share? Send it to sleblanc@metroland.com, along with a brief description. Tony Fortunato photo Are you feeling de- pressed about financial is- sues in this first month of the new year? If so, you are not alone. A survey conducted by FP Canada (formerly known as the Financial Planning Standards Coun- cil) and Credit Canada asked Canadians what makes this time of year par- ticularly uncomfortable when it comes to finances. One in five Canadians says their credit card bal- ances are larger than their savings account. By Blue Monday, which is usually the third Monday of January and reported as the most depressing day of the year, six per cent of Ca- nadians have already bro- ken their financial New Year's resolutions. As we all know, many overspend during the holi- days. This was stated by 21 per cent of those surveyed. It is interesting to see how age affects those sur- veyed. Younger adults under the age of 45 are feeling the financial blues at an alarm- ing rate of 68 per cent versus only 41 per cent for those age 45 and older. Ongoing worries about finances are not pleasant. Unfortunately, more and more Canadians are caught up in the dilemma of over- spending encouraged by easy credit. The October 2019 data compiled by the Office of the Superintendent of Bank- ruptcy showed that Canadi- ans are filing the highest number of personal insol- vencies in a decade. This is a real problem. And real problems de- serve real solutions. For those who consider this the ideal time to tackle overspending, here are a few suggestions. First, decide if this is im- portant enough for you to change your habits, taking into account that most reso- lutions are often aban- doned. Then, start with some easily achievable goals. Something as simple as con- trolling your spending for the next 24 hours. Try doing this for seven days in a row and celebrate your success after week one. After a week or two of achieving your financial re- sponsibility goal, start pay- ing down credit card debt. Taking control of your fi- nances is key. You will be surprised at how even small steps in the right direction can make a difference in your outlook, and hopefully banish your financial blues. Peter Watson, of Watson Investments MBA, CFP, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI, offers a weekly financial planning column, Dollars & Sense. He can be contacted through www.watsoninvestment- s.com. TIME TO TACKLE YOUR OVERSPENDING EDITORIAL SMALL STEPS CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE, WRITES PETER WATSON PETER WATSON Column