Report paves way for smoke-free teens: CrossCurrents Winter 2002/03
CrossCurrents
Nine vocal Ontario teens have a strong message for their provincial government, one they hope will echo across the country:
make it harder for young people to buy cigarettes. As members of the Ontario Lung Association's Youth Tobacco Team (YTT), they have participated in bringing forth significant recommendations to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term
Care on issues related to youth smoking.
"One of the main messages that I want youth to learn is: 'If you don't start, you don't have to quit'," says Jake Skelliter,
18, of Sudbury.
The team was developed as part of the Ministry's Ontario Tobacco Strategy, the long-term initiative developed to address the
impact smoking has on people's health and the provincial health care system.
Speaking at the release of the YTT report in Toronto this summer, Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Tony Clement
stated: "It is important that we all work together not just as public officials and as concerned citizens, but as a society
that cares about keeping people well in the first place, to make sure they never start smoking."
YTT members include teens who smoke and regret the day they started and other teens who have never lit up. All agree that
talking about the issue is paramount to the success of this initiative.
"The team's greatest achievement in our first year has been putting together this report," says Ashley Clayton, 17, of St.
Catharines. "It took a lot of discussion and a lot of debate to come up with recommendations that we could all agree on regarding
policies and programs that would help youth stay tobacco-free."
The YTT's recommendations include restricting youth access to tobacco products; increasing taxes to the level of the most
highly taxed provinces and directing that tax money into anti-smoking programs; controlling tobacco product marketing; furthering
education for youth and adults; and raising the profile of YTT to engage with other like-minded groups via the Internet.
Francis Thompson, a policy analyst at the Ottawa-based Non-Smokers' Rights Association, finds the YTT report impressive. "It's
quite realistic," he says. "Most of the measures in the report are on the next edge of what should be happening."
The YTT suggests compulsory licensing for tobacco retailers. While this is not a new concept - several provinces have implemented
similar regulations - restrictions send a powerful message to retailers. "Tobacco is addictive for the majority of users,"
says Thompson. "It's important to concentrate on the source of the epidemic, what policies can affect the behaviour of the
tobacco industry."
"There is quite a debate on youth access," observes Michael Perley, director of the Toronto-based Ontario Campaign for Action
on Tobacco. "Some people say 'Stop spending money on youth access restrictions.' Others say restrictions send an important
message to the community," says Perley.
Restricting youth access should be part of a comprehensive strategy that includes increases in taxation. "In the short-term,
this has the highest impact on youth smoking," says Thompson.
"Increasing price deters smoking," adds Perley. "A 10 per cent increase leads to a three to four per cent decrease in consumption.
And that's double or higher for youth." Perley also thinks that it is important to dedicate tax revenues toward anti-smoking
programs, a funding initiative in which Perley feels the provincial government lags behind the rest of the country.
Banning point-of-sale advertising is another report recommendation. "Youth easily overestimate the percentage of people who
smoke, and it's the saturation point-of-sale advertising that gives the impression that everyone is always buying cigarettes,"
Thompson says. Manitoba and Saskatchewan have recently banned this kind of advertising.
"Banning removes the last remaining advertising option," says Perley, "but we have to reduce the number of outlets as well."
YTT members wnat to see similar groups set up in every community. Perley agrees: "I'd like to see more kids in front of municipal
councils advocating for a smoke-free society."
Whether the recommendations will become a reality is yet to be seen. Similar recommendations have been brought forth over
the past three and a half years, but Perley says the Ontario government hasn't fully responded.
But YTT member Sean Wilson, 16, of Warkworth, is hopeful: "If we can inspire one teen not to light up, that's all that matters
to us."
For more information on the Youth Tobacco Team, contact Alan McFarlane, COPD manager, Ontario Lung Association, 1 800 972-2636 or visit www.on.lung.ca.
Kathy Smith
Centre for Addiction
