BC Alliance for Healthy Living

Category: Tobacco Reduction

  • Shining a spotlight on Film Tax Credits, Big Tobacco & Marketing to Youth

    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 2012 stated that smoking in movies causes kids to smoke. Studies show that with more exposure to on-screen smoking the more likely kids will become smokers.
    Every dollar in taxpayer funding that goes towards film productions containing tobacco imagery costs us $1.70 in tobacco‐related medical care and productivity losses.

    A change in film subsidy rules that would exclude movies with tobacco imagery from public funding is a way to limit tobacco marketing to youth. Other proven policies include shifting ratings so that movies with smoking are given an adult ‘R’ and banning tobacco brands in film.
    As well as the BC Alliance for Healthy Living, the World Health Organization, Attorney General in Washington State and health groups in California, Europe and even Ontario, are promoting these changes.

    We support investing in a healthy film industry in BC, not one that recruits new young smokers.

    Scott McDonald, Chair, BC Alliance for Healthy Living & CEO, BC Lung Association
    Mary Collins, Director, BC Alliance for Healthy Living
    January 24, 2013

    If you want learn more about smoking in movies and what else can be done to prevent youth from smoking – please join us and tobacco expert, Jonathan Polansky in our upcoming webinar: Beyond the Tobacco War – What’s Next in Prevention & Protection? on Wednesday January 30th at 9am.

  • Can you breathe easy in your castle?

    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 was a smoker.

    I don’t know if it was the age of the building or the way the offices were subdivided but when he lit up – our office became his ash-tray. For me, it was stinky and distracting but one of my co-workers was asthmatic and sometimes it got so smoky she had to leave the office. Then when I became pregnant I became worried about my baby’s exposure to second-hand smoke.

    But luckily (for me the glass is half full) – this was my office, not my home. I could leave the smoke behind at the end of the day. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many who live in apartments, condos, townhouses or other types of adjoined suites.

    After all the efforts to protect the public from second-hand smoke, it’s a bitter irony that some still have to deal with unwanted smoke in their homes. In fact, over a third of residents in multi-unit dwellings are exposed to second-hand smoke each year. So it’s not that surprising that each year about 100,000 are estimated to move to escape from second-hand smoke.

    Living with smoke in the home is a health issue for anyone but it’s particularly serious for those with asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and other respiratory conditions or chronic illnesses. This is what led BCAHL to fund the Smoke Free Housing initiative and why we continue to advocate for more smoke free housing options.

    To learn more about this issue please join us and tobacco experts, Jack Boomer and Sharon Hammond in our upcoming webinar:Beyond the Tobacco War – What’s Next in Prevention & Protection? on Wednesday January 30th at 9am.

    Because everybody should be able to breathe easy in their own home (or castle).

    Rita Koutsodimos
    Manager, Advocacy and Communications
    January 2013

    Green Couch Session Paper Lions from Green Couch on Vimeo.

  • 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 the air of his apartment. I can’t imagine that his neighbours weren’t affected as we were when we visited, but it was an earlier time and there were few protections from second-hand smoke anywhere.

    Creating a building-wide statute is a hard thing to decide to do, but the fact is – it is legal to create smoke-free housing units, and renters and apartment owners alike are increasingly looking at their options. Smoking in multi-unit dwellings is not just a personal choice, but one that can affect the health and air quality of neighbours and visitors. Smoke does not stay neatly in one place, it creeps and seeps through cracks and tiny openings and the results of exposure can be severe, especially for those with compromised health.

    BC Stats calculates that up to 100,000 BC renters may move annually over this issue. A strong majority of those surveyed would prefer to live in a 100% smoke-free (including balconies) building—similar to results in surveys elsewhere. However, almost none exist in BC.

    Smoke Free Housing BC, one of BCAHL’s initiatives led by the Heart and Stroke Foundation, has provided on-line resources since 2008 to help those who do not want to live with second-hand smoke, and folks who live in multi-unit housing are starting to pay attention.

    In addition to a healthier smoke-free atmosphere, the benefits include reduced risk of fires. According to the BC Office of the Fire Commissioner, “smoking and smoking related materials (matches and lighters) are a significant cause of residential fires. In 2007, over one quarter of fire deaths were due to fires ignited by smokers. The damage from fires started by smoker’s materials was over $66 Million.”

    There are far more non-smokers than smokers in BC, and most people find smoke coming into their homes a nuisance. But many British Columbians are unaware of their rights, or feel uncomfortable complaining in order to have their rights upheld. Only 25% of those who had nuisance smoke in their buildings, complained according to the poll done by Smoke Free Housing BC in 2008.

    Rights for tenants across BC need to be supported by healthy public policy. To save on expensive court costs, the BC Government could simply list “secondhand smoke” as a nuisance and breach of the “right to quiet enjoyment” in the Residential Tenancy Act so that this doesn’t have to be repetitively established in each incident or litigation.”

    Do you want to explore your smoke-free options for rental or condo living? If so, check out the Smoke Free Housing BC site and start looking at your options for living smoke-free. Please be sure to tell us how it goes in the comments section below.

    Samantha Hartley-Folz
    Manager, Policy and Programs
    October 2012

  • 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, I wanted to highlight the issue of men’s health. This anecdote from my own family might help to demonstrate the problem – I’m still working on the solution.

    My husband recently developed back pain. He started twisting the wrong way while helping coach my son’s mini soccer team. Not a big movement or evident injury, but the pain and discomfort went on for three weeks. Three weeks, I may add, that outside help from medical professionals and/or physiotherapists was not sought, with my husband eternally pondering ‘why isn’t this getting better?’ On the other side of our family gender divide if I am in pain or sick (or the kids are) the doctor is called and an appointment is made.

    The truth is that my husband, like many men in the province, does not seek medical help before pain, discomfort or ill health take them out of the work force.

    I’m not alone in noting this reluctance for men to get involved and look after their health. The Men’s Health Initiative of BC is a participant in the BCAHL Network. They have a great website developed by men, for men to look into how to turn this pattern around. In the US this week, the American Centre for Disease Control is out promoting National Men’s Health Week.

    BC’s Northern Health Authority is working on the issue at a region-wide level. Men are not seeking out medical help in order to prevent chronic disease and other injury related problems. So Northern Health has started a Men’s Health Initiative that is seeking men out instead.

    The website has fun facts on man activities, man recipes and the health impacts of light versus dark beer. Now, this is not to say that women aren’t beer drinkers too, but targeted health promotion efforts for those with poorer health outcomes have the benefit of science behind them. So let’s applaud this effort at reaching the audience where they are at.

    Northern Health has also gone out to men, providing very successful workplace screening events to check blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol levels, and catch health problems before they grow too big to ignore.

    BCAHL’s has a webinar coming up on June 28th, “Workplace Wellness Works!” which will be profiling the Northern Health workplace events. Join us. I plan to send an invitation to my husband and see how my family’s health can benefit from this regional and provincial approach!

    Samantha Hartley-Folz
    Manager, Policy and Program
    June 2012

     

     

  • 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 BC, we may be the best in Canada but we’ve still got a ways to go yet.

    Under fifteen percent of British Columbians continue to smoke which is still 550,000 too many. Today the Clean Air Coalition released its Tobacco Control Report Card comparing BC to the rest of Canada. The areas we’re doing well include the subsidization of nicotine replacement therapies and our overall low smoking rate. But BC remains one of the last provinces to ban smoking from pharmacies and isn’t doing great when it comes to ensuring an adequate supply of smoke-free apartments and townhouses.

    It is also critical to prevent the next generation from even starting smoking, which is why we’ve encouraged government to classify movies with tobacco imagery as adult (18+) and to end subsidies to films featuring tobacco.

    We’ve made tremendous gains over the past few decades in bringing down smoking rates but the next chapter in tobacco control will likely be more challenging. The people that continue to smoke have a serious addiction that hasn’t responded to health information, limits on access, price increases or even by shifting cultural norms. And because we’ve made such great gains in this area some feel that the issue is done and over with. But the lives of 550,000 British Columbians and the people around them depend on us continuing the fight.

    While it may seem fantastical now, I hope in 2040 my children will look back at the start of the millennium and see it as a time when we finally got serious about getting rid of those death-sticks – ‘imagine that!’

    If you or someone you know is ready to quit smoking, Quit Now can help.

    Rita Koutsodimos
    Manager, Advocacy and Communications
    May 2012

  • Envision a Smoke Free Lifestyle

    We all know the health benefits of quitting smoking or not starting, but the My Smoke Free Lifestyle Contest has made people think about the social and economic benefits as well. Whether it’s for yourself, your friend or children, whatever your reason – it’s always a good time to go smoke-free.

    Quitters Unite did the math and I was shocked at how expensive smoking is. Did you know that smoking a pack of cigarettes per day costs about $300/month. That’s $3600 per year! And even if you don’t smoke that much, it still adds up fast.

    Quitters Unite asked British Columbians what their smoke-free lifestyle would look like, and they got some great answers. They captured some of the fun and fabulous ways to spend that $300/month.

    Check out the contest finalists and vote for your favourite during National Non-Smoking Week – ending on Saturday, January 21. The winner will take home an iPad 2.

    And if there’s someone in your life who could benefit from a Smoke Free Lifestyle, get them to check out the videos too. Envisioning is a great motivator and it’s always encouraging to know that others have done it too.

    Samantha Hartley-Folz
    Manager, Programs and Policy
    January 2012

     

  • Premiers Urged to Tackle Largest Drivers of Healthcare Costs

    BCAHL(Black)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

    Vancouver, BC, January 11, 2012 – Today in an open letter, members of the BC Alliance for Healthy Living encouraged Provincial and Territorial leaders gathering in Victoria to commit to action on the prevention of non-communicable diseases, which are the largest drivers of health care costs and often avoidable causes of premature death and disability.

    Barbara Kaminsky, BCAHL Chair and CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society, BC and Yukon said, “BCAHL members would have preferred that the 2014 Health Accord prioritize disease prevention in the same way the previous Accord prioritized and resulted in improvements in surgical wait-times. What gets measured and funded gets results. But even without this direction from the federal government, the Premiers can collaborate and work towards nationwide standards and goals to reduce chronic diseases, recognizing their financial and human costs. We wish them well in their deliberations.”

    The BC Alliance for Healthy Living is a group of organizations that came together in 2003 with a mission to improve the health of British Columbians by addressing the risk factors and health inequities that contribute significantly to chronic disease.

    Contact:
    Rita Koutsodimos, Manager Advocacy and Communications
    BC Alliance for Healthy Living Secretariat
    Ph: 604-629-1630 / 604-989-4546
    rkoutsodimos@bchealthyliving.ca

     

    Open Letter to the Premiers on the Occasion of their Meeting in Victoria,
    January 15-16, 2012 

    Dear Premier Clark, Chair of the Council of the Federation and Premiers of Canada’s Provinces and Territories,

    As you gather for your meeting in Victoria, we know you will be discussing common concerns that you and other jurisdictions face, particularly in light of these challenging economic times. Among these will be increasing costs of publicly funded health care which are consuming ever greater shares of provincial and territorial budgets.

    All jurisdictions are looking at ways to control the growth rate of health care expenditures driven by increasing and aging populations and the availability of, and demand for new and expensive diagnostic and treatment regimes.

    In the opinion of the members of the BC Alliance for Healthy Living, of greatest importance and urgency is the need to prioritize and dedicate resources to the prevention of disease, particularly the avoidable morbidity and mortality resulting from many non-communicable diseases.

    We know that diabetes, many cancers, as well as heart, circulatory and respiratory diseases in particular can either be prevented or dramatically delayed when we engage in healthier lifestyles. It is the treatment and consequences of these diseases which consume ever greater portions of our provincial and territorial budgets.

    Encouraging Canadians to maintain a healthy weight, be physically active, consume a healthy diet, abstain from tobacco and limit their intake of alcohol is essential, but as well, we must recognize the factors which impede the ability of many Canadians to engage in healthier activities. Simplistic solutions based upon the premise that all Canadians enjoy equal opportunity for good health will not yield the long term results and avoidance of health care costs we would all like to see.

    Improving the social and economic conditions for our most vulnerable populations including aboriginal populations is paramount and will require long term commitments from all levels of government. However, these changes must be made if we are to alleviate the unacceptable social and economic conditions which continue to hinder the health of so many.

    We understand the Federal Government has already made commitments to a new Health Accord that will take effect in 2014, as well as the funding arrangements which will accompany it and that there are unlikely to be any specific conditions, outcomes or metrics attached to the funding.

    In our view, it would be preferable for the Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments to agree on specific outcomes associated with the renewed Health Accord funding. Many who observe the health of Canadians were impressed with the gains that were made on wait-times through the targets set in the last accord. We still believe there is an opportunity for the Provincial and Territorial leaders to place a renewed focus and commit to additional resources for health promotion and disease prevention. These should be accompanied by specific metrics for monitoring changes in both the risk factors for non communicable diseases as well in the underlying conditions which contribute to them.

    We ask that you charge your Health Ministers to work with the NGO community and come forward with policies, plans and programs which will build upon much good work already being undertaken throughout Canada to improve the health status of all Canadians and reduce inequities in health arising from differing cultural, economic and social circumstances.

    We shall be providing some specific suggestions to your Health Ministers in the coming months on these matters and look forward to the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with them as we seek approaches to meet the challenges of sustaining our publicly funded health care system for future generations while establishing and meeting new goals for the good health of all Canadians.

    We wish you well in your deliberations and hope you will have a productive and healthy meeting.

    Yours truly,

    BC Alliance for Healthy Living

     

    Barbara Kaminsky Mary Collins
    Chair, BC Alliance for Healthy Living and
    CEO, Canadian Cancer Society,
    BC & Yukon    		 Director, BC Alliance for Healthy Living Secretariat

  • Love your Bones!

    November is a time to remember many special loved ones who have fought the good fight on many fronts. As it is also Osteoporosis Month in Canada, I am reminded about many family members and friends who gallantly lived or are living with this most debilitating and threatening disease. So to honour them and share some insight into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis I submit the following and encourage all this month to take steps to evaluate their own family’s bone health.

    Love your Bones!

    Dear Bones,

    Well, here we are, cuddled up on my comfy couch after our big shock; I still can’t believe it! We have osteoporosis! How did that happen—when did that happen? We’re only 40!

    Now I realize I should have paid more attention to your needs. Growing up, it was “drink milk for your bones!” so I did, until I was about twelve and switched to the soda pop I still guzzle down regularly. No one told me that was hurting you, along with too much alcohol, smoking and even coffee! And to make matters worse, after eight-hour days at the office computer—plus a few more at night online—I’ve been too tired to exercise! And it seems that has harmed you as well. I’m so sorry, dear Bones, I didn’t know . . .

    Maybe I should have. Now that I think about it, remember Mom breaking her hip four years ago? The word osteoporosis wasn’t even mentioned until a few months ago, when it broke again. Now she’s so afraid to move she just sits there, which is only making her bones even weaker. She’s terrified she’ll break her spine reaching for something, and I’m worried about how she’s coping all alone!

    And now that I think of it, both Granny and Dad got shorter as they got older. Granny had that telltale hump in her spine. I remember how she always greeted us with arms open wide, but then she started saying, ‘Gently! Don’t squeeze too hard!’ Now it’s all so clear; both Dad and Granny had osteoporosis! Is it genetic? I don’t want this to happen to us. I’ll do everything I can to protect you and prevent further loss and weakening. I don’t want you breaking on me, Bones!

    So what now, Bones? The doctor says we need to exercise, take calcium and vitamin D. She says there are prescription medications that would help ward off further bone loss that have been proven in studies. What do you think? I don’t like pills, but I don’t like the idea of ending up like Mom. And Dad. And Granny . . .

    Because I love you and the wonderful, unrestricted life we lead together, I give you this promise; we’ll walk together every day. I’ll change the weekly coffee with my brothers to a walk in the park. We’ll start slow and take Mom with us! I’ll cheerfully swallow every pill the doctor tells me will help you.

    Between you and me, Bones, I’m scared. Are my children at risk of getting osteoporosis? How much is too much activity before you break? What happens if I take prescription medication? What happens if I don’t! Now I understand why Mom is afraid to move! I need perspective. Maybe there is a support group, seminars—surely there’s a wealth of information on the Internet. Our doctor can direct me to credible information sites.

    Dear Bones, we’ll get answers and make informed choices. We’ll maintain—even improve—our health, and help Mom in the process. I’ll give my children a heads-up on risk factors for osteoporosis, so they can start building stronger bones right away. And I’ll tell my brothers to check with their doctors right away.

    I love you, Bones, and I will keep you strong,

    Sincerely,
    Your Partner in Bone Health

    PS I found this book, The Osteoporosis Book: Bone Health, 3rd Edition that has the answers about bone health we are looking for. I will read it for the good of both of us!
    Also visit www.osteoporosisbook.com

    Guest Blogger:
    Gwen Ellert, RN MEd

  • BCAHL’s Healthy Families Agenda

    BCAHL’s Healthy Families Agenda

    BCAHL recently completed a policy review and put together a collection of recommendations for improving the health and wellness of families across British Columbia.

    We have outlined four components that together comprise BCAHL’s Healthy Families Agenda, they include:

    • Creating connected, vibrant communities;
    • Making it easier for families to be healthy;
    • Empowering people;
    • Making it work, working together

    British Columbians on average, enjoy a relatively high health status, if BC is to improve or maintain its leading position in healthy living, a whole of society approach is essential. Leadership is required from all sectors and all levels of government. Each component within this document describes specific actions that are required for BC’s continued success.

    BCAHL is committed to working together with the BC government and many other partners across the province to build a healthier future for BC families.

  • 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 previous submissions or which were included in our recent report Healthy Futures for BC Families, but we have also added some new proposals.

    Among our most urgent requests are that the provincial government establish targets, investments and actions to improve health equity in BC, require all ministries to subject new policies, spending and programs to a health equity assessment and commit to and fund a poverty reduction strategy. We believe that these three actions could go a long way to addressing inequities in health which continue to exist in British Columbia.

    We also tackle a range of specific measures which could impact positively on healthy living and the reduction of chronic disease. These include setting aside 7% of all transportation infrastructures funding for Active Transportation infrastructure such as walking and bicycle paths, subsidizing nicotine replacement therapies and expanding the provincial smoke-free legislation to prohibit the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies, as nine other provinces and territories have already done.

    We are also concerned that recent budget reductions are impacting on the resources available to support community initiatives such as Active Communities which encourages physical activity, as well as those which are targeted to improving the health and wellness of school children. Thus we have urged the government to maintain funding for programs such as the School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Program, Action Schools! BC and continue to implement the Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in BC Schools.

    Of overall importance is our plea that the Provincial Government dedicate more funding to the prevention of chronic disease. We believe that the ideal level would be 6% of funds allocated for health (or illness) care to be dedicated to programs and initiatives that would focus on population health. Such investments would improve the prospects for British Columbians to avoid chronic diseases and live healthier lives and would, in the long-term, lessen the load on the health care system.

    Read our full submission to the Government.

    Mary Collins
    Director, BC Alliance for Healthy Living Secretariat
    October 26, 2009