For
Immediate Release
October 25, 2006
Watson’s claim of success against smoking
mostly smoke and mirrors
He doesn’t smoke but he huffs and puffs
Queen’s Park, Ontario
– Norm Sterling, MPP for Lanark-Carleton and the first legislator in Canada to
introduce legislation protecting people from second-hand smoke (in 1985), asked
Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson if he had any statistics on sales of
illegal cigarettes in Ontario. Minister
Watson, who has few operational responsibilities but a staff of 140 civil
servants earning on average $80,000 to develop health promoting policies,
refused to answer the question instead saying the previous government had raised
tobacco taxes six times in six years and versus the four increases in three
years from the McGuinty government. As
usual the answer had nothing to do with the question.
Mr. Sterling then asked the
Minister about a study by Imperial Tobacco which indicates that 23.5% of
cigarettes sold in
Consumption of cigarettes has been falling steadily over the past 10 years because of the combined efforts of government, health care workers and the public at large. The present government has helped to continue this trend. Minister Watson has the resources at his disposal to provide factual and accurate information on what is really happening in this important fight against a terrible and dangerous addition. This should include a plan to fight illegal cigarette sales.
“Stop huffing and puffing and back up your claims of success. This issue is too important for our future health,” said Mr. Sterling.
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For more information, please call Lanark-Carleton MPP Norm Sterling at: (416) 314-7900