Today is World No Tobacco Day and organizers are taking aim at flavoured tobaccos.
The World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from tobacco. In Alberta, the theme is Flavour your Life without Tobacco.
Martin McSween, of Alberta Health Services, says the goal this year is to raise awareness of flavoured tobacco. He says these are blatantly aimed in their marketing and packaging, at children.
“Flavouring is a way to entice the youth and young adult market to use,” said McSween. “The more we can do to highlight that flavouring is just a mask—and it is a genius way for the tobacco industry to entice young people to start—the better.”
McSween said there has been progress made. Nationally, Bill 32 was designed to crack down on marketing tobacco to youth. Despite this, there are still small “cigarillo” style flavoured cigars or sale. The legislation also excludes smoke free tobacco and menthol.
“Cigarillos were defined by weight, so the tobacco industry reengineered their product, so they could continue to sell them individually,” said McSween. “The recommendation was to change the weight and then be sold in 10s or 20s, making them more affordable to youth.”
In Alberta, Bill 206 received its first reading. This is also designed to ban flavoured tobacco. This includes additives for flavouring tobacco, menthol, shisha and spit tobacco.
“We are in “chew” country, the biggest flavouring to get people started is Skoal,” said McSween. “Usually when I talk to spit tobacco users they says they started with Skoal and then graduated to Copenhagen.
However, it has been delayed until the fall.
“It is supported by the majority of MLAs on both sides of the house, unfortunately was adjourned and now it will languish until the fall session,” said McSween. “There has been some great inroads with both sides of the house and lots of people were talking to their MLAs about it.”
To mark World No Tobacco Day in Drumheller, there will be interactive displays at the Drumheller Health Centre and clinic on May 30 and 31. Last Monday, McSween made a presentation to Drumheller Town council.
Alberta Health Services offers a variety of programs and services to help Albertans quit tobacco use, including telephone and online support services, group cessation programs, and one-on-one counselling. For more information call AlbertaQuits at 1-866-710-7848(QUIT) or visit www.albertaquits.ca
Locally you can call the Drumheller Addiction Office at 403-823-1660.
