Jeannot Castonguay

[Kidney Month, March 12th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House and all Canadians that March is Kidney Month.

Kidney disease can strike anyone at any age. It is estimated that some 1.9 million Canadians have chronic kidney disease, and more than 3,000 of them die each year. Most of them do not even know they have kidney disease because the symptoms are silent.

Over the last 10 years, medical research has made it possible to improve the success rate for kidney transplants to more than 85%. Nevertheless, the demand for organ transplants is much greater than the availability. The rate of organ donations in Canada is only 40%. We can all help by remembering to sign our organ donor cards.

Increasing public awareness and encouraging organ donation are both integral parts of the Kidney Foundation of Canada's mission. I would like to congratulate the foundation, its volunteers, and its sponsors for the precious help and services they provide. I hope that Kidney Month will make people more aware of organ donations and other issues related to kidney disease.

I ask everyone to sign their organ donor card today.

[International Women's Week, March 9th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the theme of International Women's Week 2004 invites all Canadians to celebrate those women whose lives have inspired us. Many of our hon. colleagues in this House are a source of inspiration to other Canadians. For this reason I support the “She's on a Role” writing competition for youth launched by Status of Women Canada.

Young people between the ages of 8 and 24 are invited to submit a video, photograph or essay about a Canadian woman whom they see as a role model. This could be a woman who has made a special contribution to our country or whose work has inspired them in another way.

I cannot think of a better way for young Canadians to learn more about the numerous women who have helped and who continue to help shape this country and our world, and to encourage them in turn to play an active role in history.

Please encourage the young people you know to take part in this worthwhile competition.

[French Language Health Care Services, February 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, coming from a French-speaking region of New Brunswick and knowing the importance to my fellow citizens and other francophones in the country of having access to health care professionals in their own language, could the Minister of Health tell us about the announcement he made today to improve access to French language health care services in Canada?

[Heart Month, February 19th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, February is Heart Month and it is with great pleasure that I rise today to acknowledge this occasion.

Slightly larger than a fist, the human heart contracts 100,000 times a day and pumps roughly 8,000 litres of blood daily. In a lifetime, the heart beats an average of 2.5 billion times.

Learning more about the heart and conducting research can greatly help people with heart disease.

Healthy living is achieved in many ways, such as eating well, being physically active and quitting smoking. A combination of these good habits will provide a fuller and longer life and could reduce the incidence of heart disease.

As part of Heart Month, I encourage Canadians to take action to stay healthy. I invite Canadians to celebrate Heart Month and become aware of the importance of leading a healthy life all year long.

[Petitions, February 11th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table in the House a petition signed by 92 people in my constituency, who call upon Parliament to pass legislation to recognize the institution of marriage as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

[Canada Pension Plan, November 4th, 2003]

Madam Speaker, it is obvious that my hon. friend did not really listen to the answer he was given. I listed all the measures our government has taken to fight tobacco use.

We are all aware that it is a very important issue and that we must continue our efforts, using a variety of methods to make people aware that whatever the form of the cigarettes, whatever quantity of tobacco they contain, they are bad for our health. That is the real message, in the end.

My hon. colleague knows that very well. However, for reasons I am not aware of, he tends to disapprove of our actions, even though they are good for the health of Canadians.

[Canada Pension Plan, November 4th, 2003]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for this opportunity to explain what the department has done about smoking.

As you know, controlling and curbing smoking does not lend itself to simple, short term solutions. As a general comment, despite all we do, it is never enough. We are used to that.

There may be those who think we should be doing more, more quickly, though they should also recognize that over the past few years we have made some very dramatic gains. Hence, let me draw your attention to Canada's track record so far in this area.

We have put into place a number of activities to achieve longer term objectives. Among these activities are a series of initiatives on the regulatory front, developed within a comprehensive approach.

Back in 1997, the government enacted the Tobacco Act. This legislation regulates the manufacture, sale, labelling and promotion of tobacco products in Canada.

A series of regulations have since been adopted that mandated measures such as the pictorial health warnings now displayed on tobacco packaging.

All these measures help set the background for several rounds of effective mass media interventions that we continue to broadcast.

You may remember seeing Barb Tarbox, the anti-smoking advocate who recently died of lung cancer, and Heather Crowe, another advocate with lung cancer caused by years of inhaling second-hand smoke while working as a waitress. These women bring very powerful messages because they are real people telling real stories. Their messages have been as harsh as the reality of chronic diseases and smoking-related deaths.

However, smokers have also had to contend with confusing and often misleading informations about the cigarettes they purchase. I am talking here about the cigarette packages that feature “light” or “mild” claims.

Our research shows that a majority of Canadian smokers choose cigarettes that are labelled “light” or “mild”. According to the Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, cigarettes labelled as “light”, “mild” or the like were preferred by approximately two-thirds of all smokers in Canada.

These cigarettes have the potential to be just as debilitating and lethal as regular cigarettes, yet this is not the message smokers receive when they see these claims.

So, what steps have we taken since December 2001, when a notice of intent was published, indicating that our government was considering developing regulations prohibiting the display of these descriptors on tobacco packaging?

Additional research has been conducted to gain a better understanding of attitudes and the behaviour of smokers who smoke cigarettes that are labelled “light” or “mild”. But because of the complexity of the issue, we are continuing to examine the light and mild issue to determine how best to assist Canadian smokers and to tailor any intervention to the Canadian context. Any future regulatory action will be based on solid information and sound reasoning, and will be undertaken at a time most appropriate to make a substantial difference.

Let me conclude my remarks by saying that smokers have the right to know the truth about what they smoke. They do not deserve to be confused by labels claiming “light” and “mild”, when the product can cause as much harm as other kinds of cigarettes.

That is why we are continuing to tackle this issue. This government is committed to taking action, the right action.

[Influenza, October 31st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House and all Canadians that October is National Flu Awareness Month.

Every winter, almost one-quarter of Canadians are infected with influenza. Thousands become seriously ill and thousands more die from flu-related complications.

Almost anyone who wants to improve his or her chances of having a flu-free winter can benefit from the annual flu shot. The flu shot cannot give a person the flu and side effects are minor.

Seniors, adults and children with chronic diseases, and their caregivers are most at risk. Without vaccination, they may face the possibility of serious or even fatal consequences should they get the flu. A yearly vaccination is the only preventive measure that has been proven to reduce the mortality rate from influenza.

I encourage all Canadians at risk to protect themselves and others. Flu shots are the best way to do so.

[Statistics Act, October 20th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I shall repeat what I said to be sure that you understood. The Minister of Health has promised to develop a national action plan on FAS. This plan relies on a comprehensive, coordinated and cooperative approach that will bring together the best evidence and experience available on the most effective strategies for preventing FAS.

[Statistics Act, October 20th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by praising the efforts expended by the hon. member in seeking an approach to the very serious problem of fetal alcohol syndrome.

I share her concerns about the necessity of taking steps to address one of the major avoidable causes of congenital defects and developmental delay in Canadian children.

FAS results in irreversible disabilities associated with social, emotional and financial difficulties for those with the syndrome as well as their families and caregivers. They require ongoing support and our interventions must be as effective and efficient as possible.

Our government acknowledges the complex and urgent nature of this issue. The multi-faceted strategy includes a study of the effectiveness of warning labels as a total approach to FAS.

Hon. members will recall that Motion M-155, passed by this House in April 2001, called upon the government to consider the advisability of requiring all alcoholic beverages to carry a visible and clearly printed label warning that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause birth defects.

As has already been reported to the House, the information we have obtained so far has not allowed us to conclude that labels warning of the dangers of alcohol use would have the impact we all want to see, namely a change in the risky behaviour of drinking during pregnancy.

We are, however, continuing to consult the most reliable studies and to examine the opinions of experts in this field. Our objective is to apply measures that make the most efficient use of our resources while obtaining outcomes that are as positive as possible, ultimately.

The Government of Canada has been proactive in its response to FAS-related issues. In 1999 funding was increased by $11 million in order to expand the number and scope of community projects under CPNP, the Canadian prenatal nutrition program.

We have provided funding for preventive, educational and public awareness activities, early intervention, the development of practical tools for the CPNP, the establishment of strategic project assistance fund, an FAS web site, monitoring, and coordination and collaboration.

Funding was also used for early detection, diagnosis and training, including the development of a training manual entitled A Manual for Community Caring . A national survey of health care professionals was undertaken to identify knowledge and attitudes with respect to FAS and the use of alcohol during pregnancy.

Health Canada will publish its findings in a number of formats that will be used to improve the education and training of health care providers.

Health Canada is also working with representatives from Canadian diagnostic centres to prepare recommendations for standardized guidelines with respect to diagnosis and patient referral. This measure is the first stage in a process that will lead to the collection of data on the incidence and frequency of FAS in Canada.

We have also formed a national advisory committee that will provide valuable recommendations on the issue of FAS, including the use of labels to warn about the risks of alcohol use, as part of a comprehensive prevention strategy.

In the December 2001 budget we announced an additional $25 million to treat FAS on reserves, in cooperation with our first nations partners.

The Minister of Health has promised to develop a national action plan on FAS in cooperation with our many partners. The minister is currently bringing together participants from all the parties in Canada, working in this area, to create a viable action plan.

This plan relies on a comprehensive coordinated and cooperative approach that will bring together the best evidence and experience available on the most effective strategies for preventing FAS.

In this context, we will continue in our efforts to combat FAS and to provide support to people, their families, care providers and communities.