Health Groups Issue Report Card on the Alberta Tobacco Reduction
Strategy
Today a coalition of 13 prominent Alberta health organizations
released its first annual report card on the status of the Alberta
government's tobacco reduction strategy. Cigarette consumption
in Alberta has plummeted by 24 percent since the strategy was
launched in March 2002.
The coalition gave passing grades to every element of the strategy
except legislation. At present, Alberta is the only province without
any legislation to protect youth from tobacco industry marketing.
Also, Alberta is only one of two remaining provinces without any
legislation to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke in the
workplace, with the exception of government offices.
"We are very pleased with the results of the Alberta Tobacco
Reduction Strategy during its first year of operation, but we
have concerns about the sustainability of its progress into the
future" said Yvonne Gaudet of the Canadian Cancer Society,
Alberta-NWT Division. "Without meaningful tobacco control
legislation in place, the entire tobacco reduction strategy is
in jeopardy" she added. "Legislation is an essential
element of an effective strategy to reduce tobacco use".
The report card also criticized the government's anti-tobacco
advertising campaign and a lack of consistent adherence to evidence-based
approaches.
Specifically, the report card urged the government to start revealing
the truth about the tobacco industry and its tactics and to educate
Albertans about the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
"The Alberta government needs to tell the truth about the
tobacco industry and its objectionable marketing practices"
said Cynthia Smith of the Alberta Heart Health Project. "There
is no need to protect an out-of-province industry whose products
kill 3,400 Albertans annually. Successful mass media campaigns
in other jurisdictions have exposed tobacco industry manipulation
and have focused on the health hazards of secondhand smoke.
The government would be wise to follow these successful models."
The report card also raised concern about the government's failure
to increase the funding level of the strategy to $6.50 per capita
for 2003/04 as recommended by its own interdepartmental tobacco
reduction committee. The current funding level of $3.79 per capita
also falls short of what is recommended by the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention-a global authority on tobacco reduction
strategies.
The coalition gave high praise to the precedent-setting 2002
tobacco tax increase and its dramatic impact on tobacco consumption.
The government also earned good marks for the Barb Tarbox ad campaign,
its community grants program, the Aboriginal tobacco use strategy,
the new Smoker's Help Line, the placement of 20 new community
tobacco reduction staff, its anti-smuggling initiatives, and the
creation of a new tobacco reduction unit within AADAC.
The report card can be viewed at www.smokefreealberta.com/reportcard2003.
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Contact: Yvonne Gaudet at (403) 541-5373
Cynthia Smith at (780) 492-9579
*Formerly the Alberta Campaign for Action on Tobacco
