Evidence of meeting #45 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was injuries.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Is everyone in agreement with that amendment then?
The amendment is that health warning messages be reviewed “regularly”—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Mr. Cannan, I don't think Mr. Dosanjh meant every day.
I will give you the benefit of the doubt, Mr. Dosanjh.
Is everyone in favour of the amendment?
(Amendment agreed to)
Now, all in favour of Mr. Dosanjh's motion?
I'm sorry, Monsieur Malo, I stand to be corrected. Go ahead.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Thank you very much Madam Chair.
Item (c) of Mr. Dosanjh's motion talks about a “national toll-free quitline”. You know that in Quebec we have toll-free IQUITNOW help line. I wonder whether I could get Mr. Dosanjh's permission to add to the end of item (c) the following words: “and in Quebec that number is 1-866-527-7383”.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
All right, we have another amendment now.
Monsieur Malo, can you please read again exactly what you want at the end of paragraph (c)?
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Yes, I would like the following words to be added: “and in Quebec that number is 1-866-527-7383”.
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Madam Chair, I know that in British Columbia we have a very comfortable, recognized number, the QuitNow number: 1-877-455-2233.
I think that if we head down this path we're going to have a cigarette package with 14 separate numbers. So I would argue that is not appropriate.
Conservative
Nicolas Dufour Bloc Repentigny, QC
Thank you Madam Chair.
Contrary to what Ms. McLeod just said, in the last committee meeting we saw that MacDonald cigarette packages in Quebec have the fleur-de-lys on them, while in the rest of Canada they have the maple leaf. I do not see why a package of cigarettes in British Columbia could not have the appropriate phone number on it and why in Quebec we could not have the number 1-866-527-7383 on our packages. All 7 million Quebeckers know about that number. Since health is still a provincial jurisdiction I do not see how this would be contradictory.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Is there any further discussion?
I'm going to ask the clerk to read out (c) to make sure that we're very, very clear on what we have as an amendment.
Can you read it for me?
The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Christine Holke David
“(c) a national toll-free quitline telephone number be included as part of the warning messages on every package and that in Quebec that number is 1-866-527-7383;”
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
We are voting on the amendment to item (c), which came from the Bloc, yes.
(Amendment agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
Don't get too excited yet, it's 12:55 and this motion isn't passed yet.
We've dealt with the two motions—and emotions—but we are now going to go to the whole motion.
Dr. Carrie.
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
I have some discussion on the overall motion.
It would be premature for the committee to endorse this motion. We heard from the Minister of Health here in committee a couple of weeks ago and last week that the project overall has not been taken off the table; they are going through further analysis.
The minister also mentioned that the department does not consider that hard-hitting health warning messages on the dangers of tobacco should be a stand-alone initiative.
The social environment has changed significantly since health warning messages were introduced ten years ago. It's a good time to refocus our efforts to ensure that the warnings reach the largest number of smokers possible while remaining effective and cost-efficient.
Health Canada is examining innovative ways to complement existing strategies by strengthening its Internet presence and extending its presence using social media tools, such as Twitter, Facebook, etc., to reach more Canadians.
It's important to remember that there's no single solution to further reduce tobacco use in Canada. Canada has been successful in lowering the smoking rates because we have implemented a strong and comprehensive tobacco-controlled environment that includes multiple policy levers all working together--for example, second-hand smoke, bans on advertising, bans on high taxes, restrictions on marketing to youth, etc.
Given the information provided by the health minister, I cannot support this motion. It would be premature for the committee to report this motion to the House. I suggest that the committee allow the department time to continue its good work, which thus far has led to Canada having one of the lowest smoking rates in the world.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Yes, I just want to make sure everybody knows. We'll get that done before one o'clock. I'm mindful of the time.
Is there any other debate?
The motion reads:
That, in the opinion of the Committee, the Government should amend the Tobacco Products Information Regulations forthwith to require that: (a) new refreshed picture-based health warning messages appear on the two major surfaces of all packages of tobacco products; (b) health warning messages cover at least 75% of the major surfaces of cigarette packages;
—and this is the amendment—
(c) a national toll-free quitline telephone number be included as part of the warning messages on every package; and in Quebec the number is 1-866-JARRETE; (d) new warning and information messages be included on the inside of cigarette packages; (e) health warning messages be reviewed regularly to ensure that the labels stay current and that the committee report this motion to the House; and That the Committee report this motion to the House.
(Motion as amended agreed to)
Ladies and gentlemen, we have done the deed.
The committee is dismissed.
