FOR RELEASE: 20 April 1998
Ottawa: A l3 year old youth representative, health care organizations and child welfare experts from across Canada will join Senators Pierre Claude Nolin and Colin Kenny at a news conference concerning Bill S-l3, the Tobacco Industry Responsibility Act.
The news conference will be held at l0:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 2lst in the Charles Lynch Room l30-S, Centre Block.
Representatives from the Canadian Cancer Society, Physicians for a Smoke Free Canada, le Conseil québecois sur le tabac et la santé, and the Canadian Institute of Child Health will tell the news conference why they support the bill as will the l3 year old youth representative.
Senator Colin Kenny is author of Bill S-13 and co-sponsor with Senator Pierre Claude Nolin. The bill has passed second reading and been referred to the Senate Social Affairs Committee.
Bill S-13 would place a .50 cent levy on all cartons of cigarettes sold, creating a $l20 million dollar fund. The money would be spent on programs aimed at stopping or preventing youth from smoking with transitional funding given in the first five years to arts and sports groups who may lose their tobacco sponsorships and to tobacco farmers who may see a decrease in tobacco sales.
"Nearly one third of l5 to l9 year olds smoke. Forty thousand Canadians die every year from tobacco-related diseases. For every one dollar the government takes in tobacco taxes, it spends only one cent on education and enforcement. It is time to fix the balance. This bill costs the government nothing and it provides a realistic solution to protecting young people from tobacco," said Senator Colin Kenny.
Senator Pierre Claude Nolin added, "The money given to our arts and sports groups over the next five years will allow them the time they need to find new sponsors to replace the money given to them from tobacco companies. Everybody benefits."
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Editors note: some video footage will be available
For further information, please contact:
Jennifer Dent 995-5589 dentj@sen.parl.gc.ca/ckenny