Evidence of meeting #5 for Health in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was fasd.
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
Are you talking about the alcohol strategy or about FASD? The strategy around FASD is within the agency. Sorry for the confusion.
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
First nations on reserve therapy as well as the broader drug strategy, the Canada drug strategy.
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
Just to clarify again, and I hope this isn't redundant, decisions of financing and policy are made by cabinet and Treasury Board and Finance. They're not made by us. That's a longer-term issue.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
I think the comment was made that this is something that as a committee we may want to address as we perhaps follow this up with a report.
Nonetheless, let's carry on with questioning. I believe it's Madame Demers.
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Dr. Butler-Jones, you usually have answers to all questions, but you're surprising me today. You're confirming the apprehensions we had about a separate public health agency. As a result of the overlap, no one knows anything anymore. I've been watching for a while: a few words here, a few words there. No one is aware of anything whatever. That disappoints me enormously.
Last year, when you came to talk to us about fetal alcohol syndrome, we said that Aboriginals on reserves had major problems. Those problems haven't been solved. I believe the initial problem is poverty. Until that's been solved, we won't solve any other problems. That's not being discussed. In Quebec, for some 10 years now, pamphlets have been issued to all women who go to their doctors, to their obstetricians. Why is it so hard for Health Canada to inquire with Quebec and to ask for a brochure if it doesn't have the necessary money to do research? I don't understand, and I don't see how you can help people by publishing articles in a journal that's only read by doctors instead of doing something that would be read by the people concerned. I don't understand your actions, particularly since this little booklet is so beautiful, so poetic: vision for the future, imagine a world where all Canadians show compassion toward women. But before showing compassion toward women, you have to start by believing at the top, in the department, in the decision-making bodies. It seems to me that all this money has been spent pointlessly and that nothing has been done.
We don't have any actual statistics on the prevalence of fetal alcoholism. We don't know how many children really suffer from it. I don't understand that. How can it be that we don't have any actual data? I don't understand why, after investing so much money in this field, we are still at the dreaming and imagining stage, that we're not yet at the action stage. That really distresses me. As a woman, as a mother, as a grandmother, it distresses me to know that there are pregnant women today who will drink alcohol because they haven't had access to a pamphlet. It greatly saddens me.
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
This is a major challenge in the public health field. Over the past decade, the emphasis has solely been placed on treatment, not on public health.
Now the federal and provincial governments are improving their public health activities, but it's impossible to do everything at the same time. They want to develop intervention capability, projects and other activities, all on a collaborative basis. You have concerns about the agency's role, that of the department and that of the other organization. The three are collaborating, and it was decided that the activities of Health Canada, those of the agency and those of the CIHR would be complementary and that there would not be any overlap. That's very important, because no organization can do everything.
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
But how can you adequately develop a program if you aren't aware of what Health Canada is doing? For some time now, you've been saying that you don't know, because Health Canada or the CIHR handle that. How can you develop an adequate program if you aren't aware?
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
Each organization handles its own aspects, but all that is part of a comprehensive approach by the Government of Canada.
Conservative
Conservative
Steven Fletcher Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia, MB
I have a quick question, Dr. Jones.
Can you tell us to what extent the vision document is based on stakeholder consultations?
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
It was developed collaboratively with stakeholders, with professionals, with PTs, and from looking at activities internationally.
Conservative
Liberal
Bonnie Brown Liberal Oakville, ON
Thank you very much, and welcome to our guests.
On page 2 of your remarks, Dr. Butler-Jones, you say that many provinces and territories have identified this issue as one where they want the federal government to take leadership. I might point out that the paragraph would have been more accurate if it included this committee; this committee has been nagging about this subject for years and years and years.
Now on to my questions, Mr. Chairman. I wonder if Ms. Beckett could provide us with a list of the five research projects, the purpose and method of each, what they're actually searching for, and the amount assigned to each.
I don't mean I need it right now, but could you submit it on paper?
Assistant Director, Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Yes, I could certainly do that.
Liberal
Bonnie Brown Liberal Oakville, ON
Thank you very much.
What is the total amount dedicated to the anti-smoking campaign, the one where we see glorious ads on TV all the time. And who is responsible for that, or is it split as well?
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
It's the Department of Health.
Director, Office of Drug Strategy Secretariat and Strategic Policy, Department of Health
That is a Health Canada responsibility under the tobacco program.
Director, Office of Drug Strategy Secretariat and Strategic Policy, Department of Health
I don't have that information with me. I can get it for you.
Liberal
Bonnie Brown Liberal Oakville, ON
Could you get that, please, because I would like to do a comparison.
Director, Office of Drug Strategy Secretariat and Strategic Policy, Department of Health
Are you looking for the full program or the moneys around public education only?
Liberal
Bonnie Brown Liberal Oakville, ON
The full program, but with the moneys around public education shown specifically within the full funding. Thank you.
Ms. Langlois suggested that she cooperates with the agency when she delivers essentially the same program to first nations people. I'm wondering if you cooperate to the point where you're actually promoting the same incorrect message, which is that no alcohol is safe during pregnancy.
