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November 18, 1999
(Health and Community Services)


Statement by Joan Marie Aylward, Minister of Health and Community Services read in the House of Assembly November 18, 1999:

During this week, Addictions Awareness Week, I am pleased to inform honourable members that government has moved ahead on initiatives aimed at reducing or stopping people of all ages from smoking tobacco. We are concerned for the health of those people who are currently smoking, and for those who might decide to smoke in the future. The dangers are evident when we look at the number of people being diagnosed with heart and lung illnesses.

On January 28 Premier Tobin and I announced the establishment of the Provincial Tobacco Reduction Coalition (now called the Alliance for the Control of Tobacco). The alliance has been working on a Tobacco Strategy for the Province. I am pleased to report that during this session of the House of Assembly, the strategy, targeted at all age groups, will be unveiled.

As a result of consultation with various stakeholders, in May of this year I introduced legislation to amend the Tobacco Control Act regarding licensing of wholesale and retail vendors of tobacco products. With the new amendment all tobacco vendors are required to have a licence to sell tobacco. The Tobacco Control Act prohibits vendors from selling or giving tobacco to those under 19 years of age.

Today, I am pleased to tell honourable members that the department is moving ahead with another initiative focused specifically on youth tobacco strategies. This morning, at Holy Cross Junior High School here in St. John's, I announced the formation of a Teen Tobacco Team. I believe it is very important to discuss tobacco issues directly with our young people if we are going to develop effective strategies for dealing with smoking among youth.

I will work with the Teen Tobacco Team on issues relating to tobacco use by teenagers all around the province. We know that smoking kills more people than traffice accidents, AIDS, suicides and murder combined. The next best way to prevent smoking deaths is to keep people, especially our youth, from starting. Our Teen Tobacco Team will assist in the development of policy, programs, services and public education initiatives, and they will ensure that the work to reduce youth smoking will remain focused, realistic and effective. Ten youth between ages 13 and 18 will been chosen from all six health care regions within the province. I would like to thank the many community organizations who are currently assisting us in choosing the team members.

Members of the Teen Tobacco Team will be announced in the next few weeks. The goal for the team is to work with me and department officials to provide input and consultation in developing the Youth Tobacco Strategy for the province. The work will be done in consultation with the alliance, and will fit in with the Provincial Tobacco Strategy.

Every year, smoking kills nearly 1,000 people in this province alone. Our children are smoking as early as 11 years old. Over 50 per cent of level III students say they smoke at least some cigarettes during the year. The statistics speak for themselves. I look forward to working with the Teen Tobacco Team to learn of the best way to approach this issue with the young people of Newfoundland and Labrador.


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