Healthy Living

Beyond the Tobacco War – What’s Next in Prevention & Protection?
BCAHL’s first webinar for 2013 focused on a common ‘healthy living’ topic at the start of a new year – that is stopping smoking. We were so pleased to have such knowledgeable presenters who were able to deliver an engaging session to an audience that spanned the province of BC as well as a few…
Shining a spotlight on Film Tax Credits, Big Tobacco & Marketing to Youth
Given that it is National Non-Smoking Week, and with the current spotlight on film tax credits in BC, it’s a good time to talk about tobacco marketing in movies. Blocked from other advertising channels, Big Tobacco has turned to movies to sell youth on a glamourized, rebellious image of smoking. The US Surgeon General in…
Can you breathe easy in your castle?
I used to work in a beautiful heritage building in Vancouver called The Standard Building. To me, it was anything but standard with glossy marble floors, polished brass fixtures and a gorgeous lobby that made you feel you’d arrived someplace special. It was a great place to work except for one thing… our office neighbour…
Remedial Lessons Needed to Raise BC’s Failing Grade on Child Poverty
Last week, First Call’s Annual Child Poverty Report Card gave BC another failing grade. It was discouraging to see that 119,000 of British Columbia’s children continue to live in poverty. This is true for children in a variety of family circumstances – with one or two parents, on income assistance and in full time, full…
Breathing Easy? Some Vancouver Condo Owners are… now
I have to say that I was applauding last week’s vote by Melville condo owners to go smoke free. I remember cleaning out the apartment of my chain-smoking grandfather after he passed away. Brown ooze ran down the walls as we washed them, a solid reminder of the nicotine and assorted chemicals that had filled…
What’s your motivation?
Summer 2012 and the Olympic Games came to a rocking close last month, and the Paralympics still have a few more days to celebrate sport in all its forms. Olympic competitors had a chance to celebrate and enjoy the sounds of British pop music, Spice Girls and all. Competition drives some athletes to excel, but…
“Are We There Yet?” Road Tripping and the Psychology of Food
I got back to my desk this morning after a five-day road trip to Portland and Southwest Washington State. An article came my way via the APHA and USA Today – From Brain to Mouth, the Psychology of Obesity, which outlined a number of studies being shared at the American Psychological Association’s annual general meeting.…
Slip, Slap and Slop! BC’s in for a Hot Weekend
The weather is sunny, it’s a long weekend and it’s time to hit the beach – but before you do, don’t forget your ‘sun sense’. I can recall many lazy days as a child, out on the beach or lake with not a care in the world, and I want my children to have (most)…
Physical Activity is NOT about Jocks vs. Geeks
I’m always interested in how the media spins different studies on healthy living, and a recent Lancet article pointing out the need for people to get more physical activity in their day brought out all the usual stereotypes. Within two days of the study’s release the Globe and Mail ran two different opinion pieces, David…
Healthy Father’s Day!
BC has a healthy population overall, we are number one for smoking rates, physical activity and are near the top for healthy eating. But in BC, women benefit more from these healthy living statistics than men in the province; we live on average 4-5 years longer than men. With Father’s Day coming up this weekend,…
World No Tobacco Day – Time to Get Tobacco Out of Pharmacies, Apartments, Movies and… the Country?
Imagine a totally smoke-free country – sound like a dream, a public health fantasy? …well, it could be something we’ll see in our lifetime. In Finland, they’ve given notice to the public and to the tobacco companies – by 2040, they will be the first country in the world that is completely tobacco free. In…
Giving Kids a Chance!
Last week something rare happened to me at a work-related event – I cried. To be precise, I was moved to tears by the story of a mother struggling to give her kids their best chance despite living in poverty. The event was ‘Place Based Strategies: A Community Dialogue on What Works, which looked at…

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