Healthy Living

100 years of Progress in Public Health!!
Last week, from June 13-16, the Canadian Public Health Association celebrated its 100th birthday at their annual conference held, this year, in Toronto. Over 1500 delegates from all over the country and abroad were there to join in the celebrations and hear from a vast array of experts on the achievements of the last century…
Recommendations for Tackling Obesity in BC
The healthy choice should be an easy choice. That is why the BC Alliance for Healthy Living advocates for and supports health-promoting policies, environments, programs and services so that British Columbians have opportunities to be healthy. As part of this work BCAHL has submitted BCAHL Submission on Obesity to the BC Government, which offers recommendations to…
How Do You Serve Healthy Food at Meetings?
A popular local caterer told us recently that they don’t provide heart smart muffins for meetings and events because there simply isn’t enough call for them. They can provide muffins with veggies like zucchini and carrots, but these muffins would also likely contain too much oil for them to be considered a truly healthy option.…
BCAHL’s 2010 Budget Submission
Soon it will be time for the Provincial Government to consider its budget for the fiscal year beginning in April 2010. As part of the public consultation process, BCAHL prepared and submitted a Brief to the Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. Our Brief reiterates some of the recommendations that have been part of…
BCAHL Meets Ministers
During August, BCAHL Chair Bobbe Wood and I had the opportunity to meet with our two new Ministers – the Honourable Ida Chong, Minister of Healthy Living and Sport and the Honourable Mary McNeil, Minister of State for the Olympics and ActNowBC. Scott McDonald, Executive Director of the BC Lung Association joined us for the…
Tobacco Reduction Strategy
Tobacco is addictive, poisonous and kills 16 British Columbians every day. Even so, more than 600,000 people in BC continue to smoke, with young adults showing the highest rates of smoking. Even though 19- to 29-year-olds have become a major marketing target for tobacco companies, there are few programs to support them. This is why…
Smoke-Free Housing in Multi-Unit Dwellings Initiative
British Columbians are protected from second-hand smoke in public places but many are still exposed to unwanted tobacco smoke entering their homes from neighbouring units. The Smoke-Free Housing in Multi-Unit Dwellings Initiative worked with housing providers to create more smoke-free living spaces. The Heart and Stroke Foundation implemented a smoke-free housing pilot project to provide technical support…
Community Outreach Initiatives
When young adults are not working or studying hard, you can be sure they are enjoying their time off. Tobacco reduction, protection and prevention initiatives have to reach places where young adults play and live, and two community outreach initiatives achieve that goal. The Community Detailing Initiative will engage businesses and community organizations where young…
Community Detailing Initiative
The Community Detailing Initiative will engage businesses and community organizations where young adults “hang out” to promote cessation resources. These community partners know youth – their customers – and youth culture, and can reach them where they socialize and have fun; at bars, restaurants, shopping malls, events and recreation centres. Jack Boomer Project Manager Telephone:…
Quitters Unite!
Young adults were born double-clicking; they text until their thumbs are sore and use ‘message’ as a verb. Newspapers and billboards do not reach this media-savvy group – they get their information from twitter, networking sites, blogs and each other. The Heart and Stroke Foundation worked with professors to challenge students in senior level marketing classes to design a multi-media tobacco…
Tobacco-Free Post Secondary Initiative
BCAHL supports tobacco-free campuses. This includes ensuring protection from tobacco marketing, enacting tobacco-free policies, developing cessation resources for students and faculty, and educating trade students on tobacco as a health and safety issue in the workplace. Assisted by the BC Lung Association, schools are leading the fight against tobacco by creating healthier learning environments for…
Tobacco-Free Workplace Initiative
Most adults in BC spend one-third of every day at work. And 19 to 29 year-olds are the fastest growing segment of the BC labour force. So it makes sense to aim tobacco-free programs at young workers in the workplace. The Canadian Cancer Society is working with employers, unions, and industry health and safety associations…

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