January 27, 2014
This week is National Non-smoking Week in Canada. In response, the Canadian Cancer Society, B.C. and Yukon, is calling on the British Columbian government to ban all flavoured tobacco products in the province. The aim of the society’s request for the ban is to reduce the total number of tobacco related deaths in B.C.
I am a long-standing volunteer with the society and a fourth-year nursing student at UNBC. It is my opinion that flavoured tobacco is perceived as socially acceptable by youth because of the misconception that the products are safer in nature due to their packaging. The wrongful use of images such as green apples or bright red cherries creates the illusion that these products are less harmful. The use of images associated with health and healthy eating is a misrepresentation that is putting Prince George youth at risk for lung cancer and COPD, among other chronic diseases.
Most individuals begin smoking in their teenage years, of this population more than half of youth who smoke use flavoured tobacco products. Having attended high school in Prince George I can still remember feeling invincible to most challenges and not fully comprehending the long-term implications of my actions. Although I am not a smoker today, I can think of many young adults who acquired the habit while in their high school years. Youth have the ability and capacity to understand the long-term risks associated with tobacco use; however, the misrepresentation of tobacco products only heightens that sense of invincibility with a false sense of security in the products. This trend is not unique to Prince George; it is widespread throughout the province. However, an interesting finding in a recent poll revealed that 81 per cent of B.C. youth ages 15 to 18 want to ban all fruit and candy flavoured tobacco products. From that poll it is clear what action the British Columbian provincial government needs to take to reduce youth smoking, which is to ban all flavoured tobacco products. With that being said, I encourage youth and young adults who believe that tobacco companies should not be allowed to trick youth into using tobacco products to speak up and advocate for a change in policy.
Please encourage your MLA and B.C. Minister of Health to take action and create a ban on all flavours of all types of tobacco products.
Kirsten Klein.
Volunteer Canadian Cancer Society