The Canadian Cancer Society, B.C. and Yukon is calling on the provincial government to ban all flavoured tobacco products now in order to reduce the number of tobacco related deaths in B.C.
When it comes to flavoured tobacco products, there are three important facts: Most people start smoking when they are young; more than half of youth who smoke use flavoured products; and recent polling shows 81 per cent of B.C. youth ages 15 to 18 want to ban all fruit and candy-flavoured tobacco products. Knowing this, the solution is clear – to reduce youth smoking, we need the provincial government to take action by banning flavoured tobacco.
Flavoured tobacco products are specifically engineered to attract new youth smokers with their child-like bright coloured packaging and candy flavours. Prohibiting the sale of flavoured tobacco products is a policy that will help reduce tobacco use and reduce cancer incidence.
Please encourage your MLA and the BC Health Minister to take action and create a provincial ban on all flavours of all types of tobacco products.
Terry Jobe,President,Canadian Cancer Society – Salmon Arm
