News

Why ENOUGH?

The Government can no longer justify allowing our hospitality workers to expose themselves to smoke in the workplace, when the evidence is so definitive and indisputable that any level of second-hand smoke is harmful. There is ENOUGH scientific research, ENOUGH economic research and ENOUGH public support to justify this legislation. The time to Act is Now. You can help us send a strong message to the government to protect workers and the public equally from second-hand smoke.

What can you do?

Go to our website at: www.cleanaircoalitionbc.com and click on the "Take Action" button

There are three options for Taking Action: (We would encourage you to send an Email to your MLA - Option 1 - as it goes directly to the Premier as well)

1) Email message to politicians - people can send an email message directly to their provincial MLA, and Premier Campbell will be automatically copied. We have provided an email message that can be used, with space to provide a personal message.

2) Letter writing tool kit - provides information on the ENOUGH campaign and why BC needs province-wide smoke-free public places legislation and information for writing letters to provincial politicians.

3) ENOUGH Postcards are being distributed by leading non-governmental organizations and other interested organizations - if you want to order 10 or more postcards, please contact Gene Chin at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (See copy of the Enough postcard on the CAC website - under letter writing)

More information about why the ENOUGH Campaign is necessary

Despite the alarming evidence contained in the recent US Surgeon General's report that found there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke, and the California Air Resources Board's recent designation of second-hand tobacco smoke as a toxic air contaminant in the same category as the most toxic automotive and industrial air pollutants, British Columbia lags behind most other provinces/territories in Canada that have implemented 100% smoke-free legislation in all public places, with NO Designated Smoking Rooms.

In BC today, smoking is banned in most workplaces under the Workers' Compensation Board ETS Regulations. However, when the Liberal government came into power in 2001, under the direction of Premier Gordon Campbell, they went on to override the WCB and weaken the Regulation to allow workers in the hospitality sector ONLY to work in DSRs (a decision based on unfounded economic concerns raised by the hospitality industry). Hospitality workers are the only workers in BC forced to choose whether to expose themselves to the hazardous carcinogens in second-hand smoke, for up to 20% of their work shift. BC now has a two-tier system where workers in the hospitality industry are provided less protection than all other workers in the province.

We are asking for your help in sending a strong message to the BC Provincial government by voicing your support for implementation of province-wide 100% smoke-free legislation in all indoor public places, including restaurants and bars, with no allowances for DSRs. We have had ENOUGH excuses - It's time to Act Now. Please feel free to share this email with others - together we can make a difference!

Sharon Hammond
Provincial Manager
Clean Air Coalition of BC

Sera Kirk and Errol Povah with just part of our haul

This event was organized by the Vancouver Aquarium. If you read the fine print on the bag, you'll see that Philip Morris has their fingers in it. We hope they thank us for helping clean up the mess that they helped to create.

Manitoba's largest landlord will ban smoking for new tenants in its apartments, primarily to reduce maintenance costs.

As of Oct. 1, Globe General Agencies in Winnipeg will no longer allow new tenants to smoke in their suites, on their patios or on their balconies.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2006/09/18/smokefree-apts.html

Your Sept. 1 editorial "Drug Pushing" said "Lying is as natural to tobacco executives as breathing." The editorial cited Judge Gladys Kessler's Federal Court ruling which found that the industry's deceitful activities have led to "a staggering number of deaths per year, an immeasurable amount of human suffering and economic loss." Your outrage was triggered by just one example of what the Court also found: that the fraud is still going on today.

And yet, Newsday this week has gushingly eulogized Billie Jean King, a woman who shamelessly advanced tobacco's cause for over 30 years. Your articles not only pointedly omitted the name of her Virginia Slims tour which helped brand cigarettes as a badge of women's freedom, they also failed to note that King was a Philip Morris board member when many shameful acts -- delineated in the Kessler verdict-- occurred. At the USTA ceremony King even thanked one of those "lying...tobacco executives" you refer to: Philip Morris' Joseph Cullman III. Cullman was also mentioned in the Kessler's verdict--but not thanked.

Within the next few years, as the disease toll from Ms. King's activities comes due, and as the industry's depredations continue to be exposed, her name will rightfully be removed from the Tennis Center.

If addiction, disease and death is now accepted as the cost of success, then ethics in tennis has certainly come a long way down, baby.

Gene Borio

Story from the New York Times: Bloomberg Gives Millions to Anti-Smoking Efforts

Draconian? Unworkable? Nannyism? Bhutan has heard it all before. Does Todd have a chance? Hard to say; powerful business interests are swinging their howitzers towards him now.

And why bother, when no point in White Rock is more than a kilometre from Surrey where stores will happily provide nic-fixes to White Rock's addicts? Todd says the point is denormalization of smoking, which is a fancy word for helping the public realize that voluntarily setting something in your face on fire is not exactly a particularly sane thing to do by a sentient being. And getting rid of the power walls of cigarettes behind White Rock store counters brings us one step closer to a world where smoking is simply not considered normal.

In 1995, White Rock became one of the first Canadian cities to unilaterally ban smoking in restaurants rather than wait for a coordinated GVRD attack plan, a move which was also heavily vilified by business interests as draconian. Don't count White Rock out just yet.

We have chosen to honour Bruce Watson, a tireless anti-tobacco campaigner, by naming this day after him. We would also like again thank Anne Landman, another Colorado anti-tobacco activist, for loaning us her "Joe Chemo" costume a few years ago.

Vancouver, B.C. - On May 22, Heather Crowe succumbed to lung cancer as a result of working in smoky restaurants for years, even though she never smoked a day in her life. She is considered by many to be one of the most important individuals to influence governments across Canada to protect workers and the public from second-hand smoke. "Residents and workers in Quebec and Ontario will benefit from Heather's advocacy efforts as 100% smoke-free legislation is implemented by the end of May," stated Bobbe Wood, President and CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of B.C. & Yukon. "They can thank Heather for her selfless efforts in helping make this happen."

Knight v. Imperial Tobacco Canada Limited judgement on Feb. 8, 2005: http://www.canlii.org/bc/cas/bcsc/2005/2005bcsc172.html
BC Court of Appeal ruling on May 11, 2006: http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/Jdb-txt/CA/06/02/2006BCCA0235.htm