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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, January 23, 2015 | 6 Celebrating butting out The gains have been many, but the job is not complete -- not until smoking is but a sorry footnote in history, that no longer steals lives. Halton Region trails behind the province -- but only marginally at 17 per cent compared to Ontario's 18.1 per cent -- when it comes to the rate of smokers. While that's a positive move forward, it's still not enough, according to Paul Burgher, supervisor with the Halton Region's Healthy Environments department. Many programs are credited with the progress to date, including this week. Jan. 21 was Weedless Wednesday and we just marked National Non-Smoking Week (Jan. 18-24). The provincial government also celebrated 10 years of progress in the goal of achieving a Smoke-Free Ontario. To mark the occasion, Ontario recognized the top-10 achievements of its Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy: · Banning smoking in all enclosed public places and all enclosed work places in May 2006 · Restricting the retail promotion of tobacco products in May 2006 and imposing a ban on the display of tobacco products in May 2008 · Banning smoking in motor vehicles with passengers under the age of 16 in January 2009 · Introducing prohibitions on the sale of flavoured cigarillos and establishing regulations for cigarillo packaging in July 2010 · Introducing stronger controls over all types of raw leaf tobacco grown in or imported into Ontario in June 2011 · Banning smoking on and around children's playgrounds and publicly owned sports elds and surfaces as of Jan. 1, 2015 · Banning smoking on bar and restaurant patios as of Jan. 1, 2015 · Banning the sale of tobacco on university and college campuses as of Jan. 1, 2015 · Introducing legislation that, if passed, would limit the use and sale of e-cigarettes, including banning the sale of e-cigarettes to minors · Introducing legislation that, if passed, would ban the sale of flavoured tobacco products. "We must continue to do whatever we can to protect all Ontarians from the dangers of smoking, drive down smoking rates, and make Ontario the jurisdiction with the lowest smoking rates in Canada," said Dipika Damerla, associate minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Despite signi cant progress in curbing the use of tobacco products, 13,000 Ontarians still die each year as a result of tobacco-related diseases, according to the ministry. For example: · Tobacco-related disease costs Ontario's healthcare system an estimated $2.2 billion in direct healthcare costs and an additional $5.3 billion in indirect costs such as lost productivity each year, according to 2011 data · Ontario's smoking rate fell from 24.5 per cent in 2000 to 18.1 per cent in 2013, representing 332,361 fewer smokers · One in four Ontario high school smokers have smoked menthol cigarettes in the last 30 days, according to Canada's 2012/13 Youth Smoking Survey. The battle to extinguish smoking must continue and none of us must butt out of that assignment, until the last of us has butted out. Editorial W E L L S P R I N G B E N E "Connected to your Community" F I T S 447 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 53 | Number 7 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation received $3,550 from Acura of Oakville's Sales Department's 2014 Christmas Campaign. For the third year, Acura of Oakville was a lead sponsor of the annual `Light Up Wellspring' holiday event at Wellspring Birmingham Gilgan House in Oakville. Funds raised help support more than 40 programs and services offered free to local residents living with cancer, and their caregivers. Pictured, from left, are: Christine Mieczkowski of Wellspring, Carmen Scaglione, Acura of Oakville general manager, Tom Altobello, Acura of Oakville sales manager, and Susy Borges Santos of Wellspring. | photo by Riziero Vertolli ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Advertising Director DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS Letters to the Editor MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution Doctor suggests researching `The Great Wait' Editor's Note: This letter was sent to Oakville Beaver columnist Andy Juniper in response to his column, `The Great Wait' at the doctor's of ce where good magazines are gone, Oakville Beaver, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, and a copy led with the Beaver. I am a family physician here in Oakville. I read your column in the Beaver on Thursday, Jan. 15. I understand your column is not meant to be an academic inquiry into the facts of a matter. But surely journalism should contribute to a better understanding of the issues? Your article offers nothing positive to the reader. Where to begin? The reason that doctors do not re ll prescriptions "by, say, telephone or click of a computer mouse" is because it's not about the prescription. A trained monkey can sign a piece of paper. The renewal of a prescribed medication is a signal that it is time to reassess the condition for which the medicine is being prescribed. Most doctors give enough medication to last until the next reassessment visit. For example, if a patient receiving cholesterol-lowering medication needs to have their condition reassessed and their cholesterol level measured once a year, the prescription will often be given for three months at a time with three "repeats." (Most pharmacies will not honour prescriptions that are more than a year old.) At the end of the year, the patient needs an of ce visit to discuss how the medication is working and review their lab results. Then comes the decision to continue, change or discontinue the treatment. At the same of ce visit, the doctor can take a moment to ag outstanding issues, such as the need for a vaccination, for example. There are good reasons for seeing patients in person from time to time. As for "waiting rooms," these are meant to be clean and orderly spaces for short stays. Magazines, toys, etc., are considered fomites-objects capable of spreading infections from one person to another. That is often why they are no longer supplied. Most of my patients prefer to bring their own book or electronic device. Why don't dentists and chiropractors keep you waiting? Surely you must realize that these practitioners do not operate within the realm of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. see Doctor on p.7 CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 5040 Mainway, Burlington ON L7L 7G5 or via email to; ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.