Thank you for the question.
I don't think we should contemplate decreasing our activity at present. I think we're dealing with international corporations that spend their time thinking about ways to get more people hooked on tobacco, especially young people. I think it's criminal. It's an assault on individuals throughout the world.
My own personal view is that if we let up for a nanosecond, we will face a renewed marketing attempt by international tobacco. As long as big tobacco exists, I think we've got to be there working with Canadians to protect against big tobacco and some of the insidious activities that they're involved with.
I don't think this is in any briefing note that I've seen, but that's what I think.
This is the number one preventable illness affecting Canadians; 37,000 Canadians will die prematurely from smoking, with a $17 billion cost to society, let alone human cost. No, I'm not going to give an inch. I think there's more that we can do, as individuals and also collectively, through out governments.
I'm no friend of big tobacco. You're not going to find me defending big tobacco for one nanosecond.