National Non-Smoking Week 2012
"Breaking up is hard to do"
This year the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control sought to highlight the complex relationship Canadians who smoke have with their cigarettes. Most of us have experienced a relationship that we knew was not good for us, but found it difficult to walk away. This is particularly true for the millions of Canadians who smoke – their “pal” is slowing killing them. Further, their addiction to and use of tobacco may also be doing the same thing to their loved ones.
Tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of disease and death in Canada, killing 37,000 Canadians annually. Direct health care costs from tobacco exceed $4.4 billion per year, and total economic costs are greater than $17 billion per year. For every premature death caused by tobacco, there are at least 20 people living with a tobacco-related illness.
Research continues to show that comprehensive tobacco control programmes change smoking behaviour at the population level and alter social environmental factors that influence smoking. Such local, provincial and national tobacco control programmes are in peril without the renewal of a well-funded Federal Tobacco Control Strategy. The health crisis caused by tobacco products demands the continuation of a strong nation-wide response to prevent and reduce tobacco use and exposure.
For more information about NNSW please visit www.nnsw.ca or to learn more about the CCTC and its services please visit www.cctc.ca.