This letter to the editor was published (in a slightly edited form) in the Vancouver Sun on July 16, 2007:

"China the leading source of recalled products" (July 9) raises the question, "When will China itself, as well as Canada, the U.S. and all other supposedly 'civilized nations' of the world begin to recall the most defective, disease-causing, debilitating and deadly product of all?

It maims and kills more people than alcohol (including drunk driving), crack, cocaine, heroin, AIDS, homicide, suicide, car accidents and fires, plus all of the 431 Chinese-made products that have been recalled in Canada since 2005...COMBINED!!!

It's a product which, when used exactly as intended by the manufacturer, currently kills about 5 million people a year. And that figure is expected to double over the next 12 years.

Amazingly, about 65 per cent of all men in China use the product, including 60% of male doctors there.

The product: Tobacco.

Please, join Airspace Action on Smoking and Health -- Canada's leading all-volunteer anti-tobacco organization -- in its efforts to, ultimately, totally eradicate the tobacco industry from the face of the planet.

Feel free to laugh at us and say, "It'll never happen!"

We've heard that virtually every step of the way...most notably, just prior to smoking bans in grocery stores, on airlines, in restaurants and bars and, most recently, in multi-unit dwellings (apartments, condos, duplexes, etc.), as well as in parks, on beaches, etc....and, quite frankly, hearing that just inspires us all the more.

Errol E. Povah
Delta, BC