Evidence of meeting #26 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was product.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
I think a considerable problem is contraband tobacco. I think contraband tobacco use is about 48%.
4:10 p.m.
Executive Director, Action on Smoking and Health
Yes, it depends on whose estimates you're using.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
I agree. Do you think that should have been part of the legislation in order to close the loop?
4:10 p.m.
Executive Director, Action on Smoking and Health
After these hearings I think this committee should turn its attention to other major tobacco issues, including contraband.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
What impact do you think Bill C-32 will have on contraband tobacco use?
4:10 p.m.
Executive Director, Action on Smoking and Health
We're talking about products that are--I think a large majority of the contraband we're seeing currently is unflavoured. I hope it will remain that way, but the government has to remain ever-vigilant in controlling contraband tobacco. I think the government should be applying more time and resources to that matter and encouraging their U.S. counterparts to do the same.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
I'll ask you one more question regarding smokeless tobacco. You talked about regional variation and a lot about Alberta. Can you give us more evidence from other parts of the country?
4:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Action on Smoking and Health
Well, sure. I think in the prairies and in Saskatchewan we see elevated use of smokeless tobacco as well, and there are reports from northern Canada. We know that smoking rates in northern Canada are among the highest in Canada, if not the highest, and it stands to reason that smokeless tobacco would follow.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
What percentage of youth in these areas are using smokeless tobacco?
4:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Action on Smoking and Health
It depends on the surveys. You could put that question to Health Canada.
4:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Action on Smoking and Health
I've heard of smoking rates among youth in the north as high as 50% among teenagers.
4:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Action on Smoking and Health
Of tobacco. On smokeless tobacco rates, again, I would have to defer to Health Canada on that.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Mr. Duplessis, can you elaborate on why sugar needs to be removed from the production of cigarettes?
4:15 p.m.
Director, Research and Development, Imperial Tobacco Canada Limited
I did not in fact say that sugar needs to be removed. What I was referring to is the ambiguity of the word “sugar” or “sugars”. When we think of sugars, we think of all types of sugars. The fact is that the only sugars that provide sweetness are things like table sugar, which is sucrose, or fructose, or sugars of that type, which are very simple sugars. They do provide sweetness, but complex sugars like starch do not. Starch is a complex sugar and does not provide any sweetness. The problem is with the language, not what I think is the intent.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Are there simple sugars used in the production of cigarettes?
4:15 p.m.
Director, Research and Development, Imperial Tobacco Canada Limited
Not in our cigarettes.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Are there sugars used in the manufacture of other cigarettes? Maybe you can't speak to that.
4:15 p.m.
Director, Research and Development, Imperial Tobacco Canada Limited
I believe in the manufacture of, for example, traditional, blended products, yes, there are some sugars that are used. I will even say that in roll-your-own products there are also some sugars that are used as well, at very, very low levels. I also have to specify that they do not make the product sweet. My real problem here is to differentiate between sugars and complex sugars, which are not sweetening.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
This morning we see trade challenges in the news. I don't know if any of you would like to comment on how you feel about this.
4:15 p.m.
Vice-President, Distribution GVA Inc.
We may have a problem with that. Our products are made in the U.S., so it may be a problem for us, obviously. It's not made in Canada.
4:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Action on Smoking and Health
I think as a general rule public health overrides most trade agreements.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal