Return to:
 Into-Tabac main page

Bar protest against May 31st smoking ban
by Josée Hamelin

With 5 months to go before all indoor public spaces go smoke-free, a group of bar owners has begun voicing their dissatisfaction with Quebec’s new Tobacco Act. Supported by the Fair Air Association of Canada (FAAC) – a lobby group financed by the tobacco industry – they are raising the threat of their financial doom to win public sympathy and force the government to negotiate.

“Committee Against Anti-tobacco Bill 112”
On November 29th, the “Comité contre la loi 112 anti-tabac” (Committee Against Anti-tobacco Bill 112) held a meeting in Montreal to discuss the strengthening of the Tobacco Act. More than 300 bar owners, employees and patrons attended a series of presentations before taking their message to the streets, protesting all the way to Premier Jean Charest’s office on McGill College Street.

To be allowed in the meeting, “sympathisers” were forced to sign a petition addressed to Mr. Charest. It demands that the government “reconsider its plan to ban smoking in the province’s drinking establishments starting May 31st”. Signatories call for the right to install ventilated smoking rooms, as ventilation is – in their opinion only – THE ideal compromise to completely smokefree spaces.

Among the list of guest speakers were businesspeople Peter Sergakis and Voula Demopoulos, who are currently contesting the Tobacco Act in Superior Court, as well as a representative of attorney Julius Grey (Andreas Adamacopoulos), who is representing the plaintiffs before the court. Corporation des propriétaires de bars, brasseries et tavernes du Québec (Quebec Bar, Pub and Tavern Owners Corporation) President Renaud Poulin was also present, as were bar owners Russ Clifford, from British-Columbia, and Pierre Labelle, of Ottawa. The group of entrepreneurs was joined by FAAC President Karen Bodirsky and Nicole Barcelos, director of FAAC’s Quebec division.

Fair Air Association
Created in 2003, the Fair Air Association of Canada is a tobacco industry-funded lobby group. According to multinational British American Tobacco (BAT), members include the Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers Council, the Pub and Bar Coalition of Canada (PUBCO) and several hospitality industry groups.

“The FAAC proposes more than a simple compromise, reads a BAT document. It’s an active coalition that supports the hospitality industry in its efforts to oppose what it believes are ‘financially amputating smoking bans’. Not long after it was created, it successfully blocked a 100% smoking ban in Toronto by having its members mobilize public opinion in favour of the existing bylaw, which allowed ventilated smoking rooms.”

The FAAC has also compiled a database of supporters and uses press releases, posters, postcards and op-eds to spread its message.

Demand: Ventilation
Although they are very worried about the economic effects of smoking bans, the bar owners show little concern for the health dangers of second-hand smoke. In their crusade for ventilated smoking rooms, they claim to want to “ensure both the comfort of waiters and the pleasure of regular customers” but without any mention of their health. Yet, as Health Minister Philippe Couillard explained as he tabled his bill last May, “many studies have demonstrated that ventilated smoking rooms do not eliminate health risks. They can only contribute to reducing odours.”

At the protest, Renaud Poulin even cited the work of the anti-tobacco lobby as an example to follow: “The anti-tobacco groups are well organized, he stated. They have managed to make Bill 112 a government priority. We should act like them and it’s not because the Act has been adopted that we can’t change things.”

The protest
“Harmony between smokers and non-smokers is possible in drinking establishments. Solution – Ventilation” read the pro-tobacco protesters’ huge yellow sign. On the street, passers-by were puzzled as to whether the demonstration was for smokers or non-smokers. At the Premier’s office, the group was greeted by a police line, which was set up prior to their arrival.

Among the staff present, most were there “to save their job”. They worry that the upcoming smoking ban will force the establishments they work for to shut down, a fear that their bosses also share and entertain in some cases. Shortly before the end of the protest, Mr. Sergakis cried out: “We won’t stop resisting, the government will have to negotiate with us!”

Dishonest declarations
The Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control deplores the false allegations that are being used to encourage bar owners to fight the law. According to them, there is no doubt that the “Committee Against Anti-tobacco Bill 112” is trying to scare people into joining their campaign.  For example, in their newspaper ad announcing the November 29th protest, the Committee states that “ 60 bars out of 210 ” in Ottawa have closed since their non-smoking bylaw went into effect. But according to Statistics Canada, the city only counted 127 bars after the onset of the smoking ban, which was 5 more than the previous year. Moreover, an economic impact study conducted by expert accounting firm KPMG shows that Ottawa bar and restaurant sales have remained relatively constant.

The Committee claims that “2,500 jobs have been lost” in New York City because it prohibited smoking. However, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has demonstrated that 6 months after the start of the smoking ban, tax revenue from bars and restaurants increased by 12 % when compared to the same period the year before.

Former director of operations for a restaurant chain and president of the Ottawa branch of the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association, Guy Schryburt doesn’t think there’s anything to worry about. “Everywhere people are thinking about banning smoking, tobacco industry-supported groups try to spread panic among staff and owners, especially bar tenants. They predict economic catastrophe, but in our experience, the reality is anything but.”

Despite claims by the protesters that Quebec’s Act is revolutionary, Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control Coordinator Louis Gauvin assures that it isn’t the case. “Public smoking bans are becoming more and more the norm all around the world. Quebec is only the 8th province in Canada to ban cigarettes in bars and restaurants” he remarked.

Position of the Ministry
The Head of the Quebec Health and Social Services Ministry’s Tobacco Control Service, Lise Talbot, confirms that the legislation will come into effect, as planned, on May 31st 2006. Televised ads were aired from December 5th to January 7th in order to remind the public. According to a recent Ministry survey, many people were still under the impression that the ban was supposed to start January 1st, as the Act’s original draft stipulated before being reviewed by a parliamentary committee.

Owners will receive an information letter from the Ministry outlining the new rules that will soon come into effect. The Tobacco Control Service is also preparing a guide for school administrators and an information kit for retailers.

Mrs. Talbot signalled that the problems due to resisting bar owners will be dealt with when they arise, and not before. She added that the Service’s toll-free number (1 877 416-8222) will remain open to allow infraction witnesses to file a complaint.

6 Tobacco-free Grand Prix

Of the 19 events on the 2005 Formula 1 circuit, six were held without cigarette advertising (see our table on page 12 of Info-tabac’s May 2005 edition). Turkish and Italian legislations were observed by the competing teams, as were those of Canada, France, Great Britain and Belgium. However, even in “tobacco-free” countries, cigarette brand promotion continued indirectly because the cars displayed all the same colours and graphic elements as the brands. Last June in Montréal, BAR won the unofficial title of best diverted advertising, thanks to the large red circle on its equipment characteristic of the Lucky Strike logo. At the end of the 2005 season, three tobacco brand-sponsored teams finished ahead of the pack: Renault (Mild Seven brand), McLaren (West brand, up until July) followed by Ferrari (Malboro brand).

British authorities backed down from their position in August, exonorating non-European events from the sanctions of their legislation, which doesn’t allow participation of broadcasters in addition to racing teams in events with tobacco brand advertising. In 2006, tobacco sponsorship will probably be banned in Germany and Spain as well, in accordance with a European Union treaty. But when it comes to Formula 1 racing, progress can only be measured after the race has started, as some teams can put up a fight right until the very end. Another recent development: the entirety of the circuit has been sold to the CVC investment fund, but loyal tobacco money defender Bernie Ecclestone will remain the circuit’s director. – D.C.

9th JASP conference
Understanding youth is understanding how they quit
by Julie Cameron

On November 14th, a special workshop 'Eradicating tobacco once and for all in youth and pregnant women: A top priority' presented during the 9th edition of the Journées annuelles de santé publique (Annual Public Health Days, or JASP) in Quebec City gave practitioners and researchers alike a chance to hear the specialists’ take on how to further reduce Quebec’s 22 % youth smoking rate (ages 15 to 19).

Dr Paul McDonald, a professor and research director at the University of Waterloo, presented the results of his comparative study of the effectiveness of youth smoking cessation treatments and programs. A behaviour-based approach seems to be best, since for young smokers, cigarettes are, first and foremost, a means for defining one’s social identity, that of “smoker”. Tools for quitting must address this by helping them overcome not only the difficulties of smoking cessation but also the potential challenges of adult life.

Without minimizing the obstacle of nicotine dependence, when dealing with young smokers, it’s wiser to link this reality to the associated partial loss of control over their own lives. Shocking statistics don’t do much to reduce youth smoking if they aren’t contextualized or accompanied by concrete personal examples. “It’s the value of smoking in their lives that is their main reason to smoke, and yet, we know very little on this subject”, noted Dr Joseph DiFranza, one of the world’s most cited authors according to a Tobacco Control compilation.

His recent work examines the effect of nicotine on the brain, with startling results. The increase in the number of nicotine receptors, one of the first signs of nicotine dependence, occurs faster for youth than for adults, even more so for girls. This phenomenon happens sooner than most believe, within the very first week, even when smoking is occasional or less than one cigarette per day.

These results signal the urgency of finding the right way to stop young smokers from joining the 80 % of adult smokers who picked up the habit before the age of 18. “We are left with a paradox: the things that kids want are the ones that work the least, and the things that they say they don’t want work the best”, raised Dr McDonald.

There’s no miracle for helping young smokers quit. Many practitioners deplore the lack of cessation resources adapted for youth, as most tobacco control efforts targeted towards this population are devoted to prevention, which are, – in their opinion – not very effective, especially when exclusively school-based.

Federal prisons go smoke-free

On January 31st, Canadian penitentiary staff, inmates, visitors and volunteers will have to abide by a new non-smoking policy announced last summer by Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) spokesperson Lucie McClung.

“Exposure to second-hand smoke is a danger to public health” explained Mrs McClung. By prohibiting smoking inside their establishments, the CSC meets its requirement to make sure correctional environments are healthy. Even before the new policy came into effect, 10 federal prisons had already banned smoking.

Most penitentiaries have designated smoking and non-smoking areas, but the policy states that smoking will only be permitted outdoors, which raises certain problems in a prison environment. “Our schedules will be adjusted to allow inmates and personnel to smoke outside, assures CSC-Quebec media spokesperson Jean-Yves Roy. Over our three-month adaptation period, we’ll also be boosting our smoking awareness and cessation programs.”

Free smoking cessation aids will be offered on request for a period of three months, after which inmates and staff will have to assume the cost themselves.

70 % smoking rate
The country’s 60-or-so federal prisons incarcerate 12,500 offenders, of which 3,370 people are in the 12 establishments located in Quebec. According to Mr. Roy, 70 % of the total incarcerated population are smokers, 3.5 times higher than the Canadian average.

A smoking ban is already in effect in Ontario, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Newfoundland-Labrador’s provincial prisons. Quebec’s new Tobacco Act will also prohibit smoking in most public places, but not in its provincial prisons. When interviewed by Info-tabac, Quebec Correctional Service spokesperson Réal Roussy said that no policy changes were expected. However, the Quebec Ministry of Public Security has set up a task force on this subject. – J.H.
 

Operation “Monopoly”
Important contraband network dismantled
 

On November 8th, a vast police operation involving more than 300 officers successfully dismantled an important cigarette contraband ring operating mainly in Quebec and Western Canada. Large quantities of tobacco and manufacturing equipment were seized during the 80 raids that took place in Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Hamilton, Montréal, Vancouver and Calgary.

In total, 32 people were arrested, including the presumed head of operations Bertrand Beaupré. The 51 year-old man was apprehended at his home in Repentigny on the morning of the operation. He faces charges of conspiracy and tobacco trafficking, under the federal Excise Act. He appeared before the Sherbrooke courthouse on November 10th and must reappear in early February.

This isn’t the first time Bertrand Beaupré has run-ins with the law. “In 2001, when he lived in the Eastern Townships, he was accused of 54 infractions to federal tobacco legislations. He pleaded guilty via his company Bertrand Beaupré Tabaconiste Ltée to seven counts of contraband tobacco sale to unlicensed retailers in British Columbia, and was charged a $35,000 fine”, reported The Montreal Gazette.

“When it comes to tobacco smuggling and contraband, we are faced with a particular problem, explains the Director of the Quebec branch of the Non-Smokers’ Rights Association, François Damphousse. It’s possible that some people are more interested in trafficking tobacco than drugs because they can make a lot of money but the penalties aren’t as severe.”

Revenu Québec announced that it would resort to special measures to recoup the sums owed by Bertrand Beaupré and John Cianci – another individual involved in the contraband network. The Ministry estimates its loss of tax income at over $2M.

A well-structured network
Well-organized, according to the police, the network was supplied with tobacco from Quebec and Ontario farmers. The tobacco was then processed by plants in Trois-Rivières and the Eastern Townships before being shipped to retailers. Only a part of the production of these cigarettes supplied the black market in Quebec, as the most part was sent out West. In Vancouver, where a carton of taxed cigarettes goes for about $80, the contraband variety is offered at half the price.

The goods and money seized during the November 8th raids are evaluated to be worth over $3M, according to a Government of Quebec report. Police impounded 27,456 200gr bags of loose tobacco, 7,087 cartons of cigarettes, 127 20kg bales of tobacco leaf, 1,657kg of shredded tobacco, 21g of marijuana, 500 marijuana plants, 197g of cocaine, 30 vehicles, $250,000 in cash, 5 detonators, several firearms, as well as tobacco manufacturing equipment.

Other raids also took place over the course of the investigation. The total value of goods seized during Operation Monopoly rings in at $6M.

The inquiry
Launched in July 2004, the inquiry was conducted by the Sûreté du Québec, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Montréal police and Revenu Québec under the ACCES program (Actions concertées pour contrer les économies souterraines, or Concerted action to prevent underground economies). Information sharing between the partners ensured the success of the catch.

Operation Monopoly is the follow-up to Project Malabar, which ended by breaking up another important trafficking ring in April 2004. At that time, 18 people were arrested and more than $12M worth of goods were seized. – J.H.

The Challenge gets out the boxing gloves

For Quebec smokers, January marks the beginning of the sign-up period for the Quit to Win! Challenge, presented for the 7th consecutive year by the team at Acti-Menu. The series of events remains the same: those interested must butt out for the last time between January 1st and February 28th. Registrations, to which both smoker and sponsor must commit, must be sent in before March 1st. The minimal abstinence period starts March 1st and ends April 11th. A draw then determines the winners who will share $30,000 worth in prizes.

At the Challenge’s official launch, held mid-December in Montréal, Acti-Menu proudly displayed the the visual design of the 2006 edition and introduced new spokesperson Geneviève Guérard. A Grands Ballets Canadiens principal dancer since 1998, Mrs Guérard made her “coming out” by admitting she secretly smoked for 12 years. She finally quit in 2003 during her pregnancy. “I have the impression that I’m finally living again since I broke free from cigarettes. I have more energy and more time to do things”, she confessed.

The design concept, created by the Les Évadés advertising agency, is easier to understand than last year’s. A punching bag resembling a cigarette rips apart under the blow from a boxing glove. The theme is also used for the Challenge’s televised ads, in which a female office worker delivers the punch. In 2005, Les Évadés puzzled the public with their large, block-lettered “JU STE DES” posters – intended for “Juste des gagnants” (Only winners) – and televised ads featuring oddly-spoken ex-smoker testimonials.

As usual, Acti-Menu can count on the support of a large array of partners in order to attract between 30,000 and 35,000 participants, who are for the most part new entrants and not smokers having failed past editions of the Challenge. In Quebec, that means about one in every 30 female smokers and one in every 60 for their male counterparts, as women make up more than 60 % of the Challenge’s participants. Support is granted by both Canadian and Quebec governments, as well as Pfizer, Hydro-Québec and Desjardins. Jean Coutu will distribute more than 23,000 free kits to participants who request one at their pharmacies’ counter. The Canadian Cancer Society will continue to offer its toll-free quit line (1 866 JARRETE). Operators are available to both answer questions about the Challenge and offer their regular counseling service.

More than 90 % of registrations are expected to be completed online, through the totally revamped www.defitabac.ca website. The help and advice that characterize the Challenge are obvious by the elements that compose the site: forum, tricks and tips, a chat room for 18 to 25 year-olds called “the Loft” and a photo gallery. Companies or organizations who wish to promote the contest can order materials over the Internet. Subscription to the J’écr@se newsletter guarantees encouragement all year round.

Smoke-free Family Objective
Alongside the Challenge, families are being encouraged to declare their homes or cars a “smoke-free zone”. With relatively little publicity the Smoke-free Family Objective collected 10,300 pledges in 2005, of which half were from Challenge participants and half from non-smokers who wanted to promote their choice of smoke-free living to the people in their surroundings. The minimal period over which the healthy air pledge must be observed is the same as for the Challenge. All registered families receive a smoke-free zone certificate. Even people living alone are considered as “families” and can sign up if they wish.

Since 1999, the Quit to Win! Challenge has received more than 190,000 applicants. That number doubles when the participants’ sponsors are considered. The experience of the past five years shows that an average of 66 % of participants stick to their minimal six-week commitment. Six months after the start of the Challenge, another third of the initial number of participants relapses, and 34 % stay non-smokers. Still according to a post-Challenge survey of participants, the success rate is 27 % after one year, which is one of the highest known success rates among rigorously-evaluated quit methods. – D.C.

 News summaries

Gang allumée contest

The Dis le avec ta Gang allumée (Say it with your Youth Coalition Against Smoking) contest is back in 2006, a presentation of the Quebec Council on Tobacco and Health (CQTS) in collaboration with Musique Plus. Teens have until February 15th to register an anti-tobacco awareness project for their school or youth club. They can pursue an existing activity or start a new one. As a prize, Musique Plus veejays will visit one selected school per region. A televised special is produced with clips from each of the 16 winning regional projects.

Judging the contest will be André Bourgeois, of the CQTS, as well as a representative of the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services, the main sponsor for all Youth Coalition Against Smoking activities.

www.lagangallumee.com

Irish smoking ban success

March 29th 2004, Ireland became the first country in the world to ban smoking in all public places, including its 10,000 pubs. According to a presentation by Irish Public Health Director Pat Doorley at September’s CIFCOT-2 conference in Paris, a whopping 96% of Irish citizens approve the ban, including 89 % of smokers.

Similar to Quebec’s current situation, Ireland had designated smoking and non-smoking sections in their restaurants before the ban, no restrictions applied to bars, and establishment owners pleaded for a blanket ban in order to make sure competition stayed fair. Much like Quebec, Ireland also suffered from a lack of inspectors, but strong public support helped insure the ban’s success from the very start. The front of the Evening Herald the day after the legislation came into effect read “It’s working. No problems as ban is enforced.” Ireland’s total number of tourists went up 3 % since the smoking ban began, and pub revenue rose by 7.1 % between January and August 2005.

 Pregnancy: another great occasion to quit

A presentation during the 9th edition of the Journées annuelles de santé public (JASP) revealed that although quitting smoking might seem especially difficult for pregnant women, specialists estimate that helping this population is a top tobacco control priority. Despite such obstacles as poverty – which affects more women than men –, misadapted resources or deficient counselling by their doctors, expecting mothers have the advantage of protecting their baby’s health as well as their own, and already receive health advice during their pre-natal check-ups.

Once a debated subject, experts now agree that nicotine replacement therapies such as gums or patches are safe for pregnant women who attempt to quit smoking, and can most certainly help the 70 to 90 per cent of those who relapse within the first year after giving birth to succeed.

Credits:
Info-tabac is edited by Denis Cote. Josee Hamelin writes for Info-tabac, and this translation was produced by Julie Cameron.