The North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit is pleased with today’s announcement that Ontario is introducing legislation today to protect youth from the dangers of tobacco and the potential harms of electronic cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes.
“We’re really in favour of banning all flavoured tobacco products,” Manager of Healthy Living Brenda Marshall told BayToday. “It attracts youth, especially menthol, and so we think the ban is a great step.”
One in four Ontario high school smokers have smoked menthol cigarettes in the last 30 days.
“Public health has done a lot of work to de-normalize smoking, says Marshall, "and allowing e-cigarettes where smoking is banned would be a step back, so we feel it’s a great step.”
The Making Healthier Choices Act will:
• Ban the sale and supply of e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 19.
• Prohibit the use of e-cigarettes in certain places where the smoking of tobacco is prohibited.
• Ban the sale of e-cigarettes in certain places where the sale of tobacco is prohibited.
• Prohibit the display and promotion of e-cigarettes in places where e-cigarettes or tobacco products are sold, or offered for sale.
• Ban the sale of flavoured tobacco products, with a delayed implementation date for menthol-flavoured tobacco products.
• Increase maximum fines for those who sell tobacco to youth, making Ontario’s maximum fines the highest in Canada.
• Strengthen enforcement to allow for testing of substances used in waterpipes (e.g. hookahs, shisha) in indoor public places.
Marshall says “the jury is out” on whether e-cigarettes actually leads to smoking.
Restaurants to provide caloric information
The bill also affects restaurants and the information provided customers.
• Require calories for standard food and beverage items, including alcohol, to be posted on menus and menu boards in restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores and other food service premises with 20 or more locations in Ontario;
• Require food service operators to post contextual information that would help to educate patrons about their daily caloric requirements;
• Authorize public health inspectors to enforce menu labelling requirements.
“We’re in support of this, said Marshall. “We feel it’s a great start but there are so many more things that could be listed on the menu such as salt content or fat content, so it’s a great first step but we’re looking forward to come out about that.”
Each year, tobacco claims 13,000 lives in Ontario – equivalent to 36 lives every day.
