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6 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday, November 20, 2002 E D IT O R IA L S M D L E T T E R S THE OAKVILLE BEAVER 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 337-5610 Circulation: 845-9742 IAN OLIVER Publisher NEIL OLIVER Associate Publisher TERI CASAS Office Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief STEVE CROZIER Circulation Director MARK DILLS Production Manager ROD JERRED KELLY MONTAGUE Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Managing Editor Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd., includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Barry's Bay This Week. Bolton Enterprise, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes. Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Post, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press. Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Kingston This Week. Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News: Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News. Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberland News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week. Owen Sound Tribune. Palmerston Observer. Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide. Richmond Hill/Thomhiil/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror. Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young. City of York Guardian THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association p V ji A Canadian Community Newspapers Association H a lto n Healthcare YMCA SSKMS FO R BUSINESS EXCELLENCE H O W W IP J T T i t F t Y LCO M E* WfeL< Jingle BeJ! Fund |Itatav For UIb r AGON a 1 oakville galleries { The Oakville. Milton and District REAL ESTATE BOARD B U O b m sttn m A ta s m as SK Suburban Newspapers of America 0 'O/k © Jflthcm J^wanl Qah'i/le ®Awtu&s TV AUCTION Parents, teens need to hear sobering message The festive season is just around the comer -- for some it is actual ly here -- so now is a good time to sit down with your young son or daughter to remind them about the adverse effects of alcohol. Many parents put on blinders where alcohol is concerned believ ing -- incorrectly -- that the dan gers of booze are not as insidious as other drugs. Halton Region's health depart ment wants to get the message out that drinking games, such as high school chugging contests, are mak ing students push their limits more than ever. The level of drinking among high school students is increasing and that is cause for alarm. Nov. 17-23 is Drug Awareness Week and we, as a community newspaper, want to use this oppor tunity to encourage dialogue between parents and their children. Perhaps, too, moms and dads should be thinking about the role they play regarding drinking and partying. Are you a good role model -- someone your child can look up to? Or do you lecture your 16-year-old as you down a scotch? According to the Halton Student Drug Use Survey, conducted a handful of years ago, close to 70 per cent of students in Grade 7OAC reported using alcohol at least once in the past 12 years. And if those numbers are not scary enough consider that another provincial drug use survey, carried out in 2001, reported that 40.7 per cent of Grade 11 students said they drank to the point of becom ing ill in the four weeks prior to the survey. Teens need to understand that heavy drinking and binge drinking have serious, even life-threatening consequences. We hope the region's campaign to stop youth from drinking too much too fast is taken seriously by both parents and teens. And it is hoped we don't have to write about the tragic loss of an Oakville teenager who didn't understand the risks of alcohol consumption and that his/her par ents chose to turn a blind eye. (N e e d h e lp ta lk in g to y o u r te e n ? C a ll th e h e a lth d e p a r tm e n t a t 9 0 5 8 2 5 - 6 0 6 0 , e x t. 7 8 3 5 o r v is it w w w . reg io n , h a lto n . on. c a /h e a lth ) LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Thanks for making cancer fundraising campaign a success On behalf of the Oakville Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society we would like to once again thank the citizens of Oakville for their gen erosity and support. This year community fundrais ing events raised $720,000 for important cancer research, health promotion and patient support serv ices. In an era when all charitable organizations are experiencing great difficulties with volunteer recruitment, we are most grateful for the efforts of the many dedicat ed volunteers in this wonderful community. Special mention must go to: · The 1,200 canvassers and team captains o f our annual April Residential Campaign, assisted by corporate teams from the Oakville Real Estate Board and Rotary West who raised $220,000. · The 1,500 plus Relay For Life participants who made this "inaugu ral" event held at Appleby College, an overwhelming success by raising $260,000 in one night. · The Beta Sigma Phi Sorority team which, in celebrating its 25th anniversary in selling daffodils for our society, raised $40,000. · Tony D 'Attoma, Vision Transport -- our leading business partner -- along with other suc cessful community special events raised another $200,000. · All Oakville businesses for their generous donations, gifts and ongoing sponsorships and support. · As always, we are most appre ciative of the tremendous support given to our cause by the Oakville Beaver's editorial staff, ad depart ment and photographers. Your gen erous coverage throughout the year is our link to Oakville citizens in keeping them informed and aware o f *the critical mission of the Canadian Cancer Society. Together, we will continue to strive to "Make Cancer History." Who is really addicted to tobacco? Before readers like K. Bowman continue to run off at the mouth perhaps they should educate themselves as to who is real ly addicted to tobacco and who they should be pursuing for a tobacco ban instead. As a non-smoker, I guide my choices accordingly, but it seems to me the real culprits in the picture may very well be the various levels of government that weigh the substantial tax rev enues they gain from tobacco. Consider just a few facts: In late October, thieves stole seven million cigarettes from a Vancouver warehouse. According to Imperial Tobacco, those cigarettes had a market value of 2.6 million dollars -- 1.9 million of that amount was tax revenue. Who else makes that kind of profit? As of May 2002, the average tax component of the Canadian retail price of cigarettes was 65 per cent (61 per cent in Ontario and 72 per cent in B.C.). From the government's perspective, it would be bad business to totally ban tobacco products - tobacco taxes present too much money. As far as consumption is concerned, Canadian cigarette con sumption in 2001 was estimated to be in the 44 to 49 billion unit range (depending on whether one is looking at consumption or shipments) and this volume is in decline. Based on Statistics Canada data, total shipments by all manufacturers fell another 2.7 per cent by the end of September 2002 versus 2001. Presumably to combat declining consumption and maintain revenues, governments have increased taxes several times over the past couple of years. At their end, smokers have begun shifting to discount or lower-priced cigarettes (the tax take doesn't change even though the retail price is less -- the manufacturer's margin takes the reduction in selling at a lower price). Discount cigarette brands are now estimated to have a 5 per cent market share versus 2.6 per cent a year earlier. Remember, as bad as cigarettes are, our government still allows them to be a legal product and people who want to smoke when they meet to drink and eat are going to Mississauga and Burlington to do so. Oakville restaurants and bars are not whin ing. They're just calling for a level playing field -- "fair is fair." If our governments were truly serious about bringing smok ing to an end, they would legislate a complete ban on tobacco products, period. However, as long as the money is so substantial, they'll con tinue to do everything but ban tobacco -- until voters realize that the real agents of change are the ones they elect, federally. Action needs to be aimed at government and our elected rep resentatives. Banning smoking in restaurants, bars and other public places is a red herring to keep voters distracted -- maybe we w on't hear the money being counted. u;ni:i! iif tiii: \vi;i;k Prisoners have the right to vote in a civil society Your Nov. 15 editorial Equality gone mad is total repudi ation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights to which Canada is a signatory; our own Charter of Rights and Freedoms; and the principles underpinning civil society. In granting federal prisoners the right to vote, the Supreme Court of Canada merely recognized those who break the law remain equal in dignity and rights, without distinction, regardless of the punishment. This is wholly consistent not only with Articles 1 and 2 of the U.N. Declaration, but also with the unfettered right to vote as set out in section 3 of the Charter. Incarceration imposes a severe penalty on offenders as it is by removing their freedom of movement. It is a measure of civil society prisoners are treated with no less dignity and respect simply for being behind bars. Canada is a civil socie tySection 15 of the Charter openly declares: "Every individ ual... has the right to ... equal benefit of the law without dis crimination." Canadians 18 years and older possess the right to vote. Nowhere does it state the aforementioned right is relin quished upon imprisonment. Those who believe: "breaking the laws of the laws of the land should naturally result in a temporary forfeit of the rights of that land" are sliding down a slippery slope indeed. Should prisoners be stripped of their right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment? Should we revert to the days when prisoners were openly abused? In conclusion, the Beaver would have performed a far greater public service had your editorial urged apathetic vot ers to exercise their franchise, rather than bemoaned the right of prisoners to exercise theirs. CAROL GORDON CO-CHAIR OF RESIDENTIAL CANVASS JOAN GIBB FUNDRAISING/MEDIA CHAIR PETER D. PELLIER More visionary thinking needed How exciting is the vision of the possible re-developm ent o f the north west comer of Speers Road and Kerr Street as reported in your Nov. 10 weekend edition by Renee Sandelowsky and written by Kim Amott. I sincerely hope that action will be taken as soon as possible to start and complete the smart growth that she is proposing. One thing that should be added is an extension of Shephard Road. If and when the town builds a new underpass under the QEW with Kerr Street being re-designed, a bridge to the eastern side of Kerr would increase the revitalization of this whole area. More of this kind of visionary thinking is needed in Oakville. C ongratulations to Renee Sandelowsky. Law breakers should not vote I read your editorial of Nov. 15 and I totally agree. Perhaps it's time that Supreme Court judges were elected. Something is surely wrong when the people who disregard the laws of the land are allowed to vote for those who create the laws. GORDON HUNT Two approaches to bylaw I was very interested in the Wednesday, Nov. 13 issue of the Oakville Beaver, as it relates to two specific pages. Within the editorial section a local restaurant/bar owner used the opportunity to reach hundreds of potential cus tomers to illustrate his negative view of the Oakville smok ing bylaw, as well as obvious misunderstandings relative to definitions of "public places" and National Constitutions. I find it entertaining how some entrepreneurs misinterpret "being your own boss" with being able to do whatever you want because you are a "private business owner" even if it disregards laws designed to protect the health and well-being of consumers. In addition, the writer made a plea for govern ment monetary subsidization. On another page of this issue, was an example of a com petitive establishment that decided to connect with the public by advertising their "clean and smoke-free" environment, as well as some creative events designed to attract customers. The advertisement even welcomed local policy-makers. Here's the question. Which entrepreneur has the mindset and business savvy to strategize through continuously chang ing marketplace conditions and enjoy future success? Enough said. JOHN MCLEAN SIMON DANN Pud By STEVE NEASE DOUG LADOUCER