Here is the latest smoking news in Canada:
Non-Smoking Week Initiative –
January 17th – 23rd is National Non-Smoking Week. Ottawa kicked off the week with a 630,000 dollar gift to the Canadian Public Health Association to decrease tobacco use. The financial proposal is titled “’The Next Stage: Delivering Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Knowledge through Public Health Networks”. It will offer knowledge of reducing smoking in the curriculum of various college and university health related classes. It will also create a national public medical forum for health professionals.
The Olympics –
The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics were originally decided to be smoke-free; this was a popular brag topic amongst the Vancouver Costal Health Authority. This recently was changed as news was revealed that there will be more than 25 outdoor designated areas for smoking. These areas are to be used by officials and coaches. Other outdoor smoking vicinities have been tactically placed away from spectators to prevent any damage caused by second hand smoke. The reason these smoking areas were permitted was because it was requested by various international sport associations.
No Smoking at Parks or Beaches –
A ban was proposed over a year ago that on February 1st, 2009, all smoking at parks or beaches would be prohibited. This idea is gaining popularity with the Vancouver Park Board. The idea was exceedingly popular during the summer, when there was a risk of forest fires in Stanley Park. Rather than banning smoking all together at locations such as parks and beaches it was discussed that certain areas of the parks or beaches (such as playgrounds) would forbid smoking. Another issue which has been raised around smoking was the littering of cigarette butts. Beaches are covered in cigarette butts, which can be removed no other way than by hand.
