Evidence of meeting #48 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 3rd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was kids.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
Concerning getting to the right segments of the population, my next question, if there is time, is if government were to develop a long-term care strategy or a home care strategy, what would be some of the key recommendations for folks who need care and for making sure that there are physical activity options available to them?
Ms. Mildon.
President-elect, Canadian Nurses Association
Thank you very much.
Just very quickly to your last question, I would add the example of patient safety, which has taken on such a huge profile lately, and rightfully so. When we brought in our engineers and our mechanics to look at devices, we realized that we could shift the focus from “there were mistakes being made” to “there were design needs” in those kinds of equipment. By making those, we improved patient safety.
To end that, and now to answer your new question, which is wonderful, I would just draw your attention to seniors' programs. With sensitivity, I will note that Mr. Dosanjh prefaced his comments by saying that at his age, he's having a greater problem with battling the bulge. We know that happens to seniors as they get older. So the inclusion in any kind of approach to seniors programs—there are examples that we list in our briefing note, and perhaps the VON Smart program is one of the best—of going to seniors where they are is the most important thing. Not only do we then increase their physical activity, but as well we reduce their social isolation, which also adds quality to their life.
Conservative
Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON
A lot of the questions have already been asked, but there are a few I want to touch upon, the first to the Canadian Nurses Association.
You mentioned in your comments investment in infrastructure. I certainly appreciated the RINC program that they had during the economic stimulus program. I know there were lots of tennis courts and rinks and gymnasiums built around the country through it. I guess the question we have, given that we're now in an atmosphere of fiscal austerity in which we're trying to be careful with spending as we leave the recession, is what type of investment you believe is necessary in infrastructure targeted towards recreation. Do you have any idea on the scope of that?
Lisa Ashley Nurse Consultant, Nursing Policy, Canadian Nurses Association
Certainly. We haven't put a monetary amount on this issue. It's the need to pull the sectors together. I would think that would be something that governments would need to go back to looking at. We have talked about a shift of the focus from acute care, moving some of those dollars and that funding into health promotion initiatives.
Past President, Canadian Medical Association
Some of the infrastructure costs—and I'm going to steal some thunder from the speakers beside me.... We don't have to go out and build new things; we have to teach people to use the things they have. There are walking programs in my community, in every single shopping mall in Saskatoon. Those shopping malls are there. People go at seven o'clock in the morning, they go at seven o'clock at night, and they walk. Get people using the stairs. Make the stairwells safe; make them clean. We have some of that infrastructure. We simply have to re-educate people to the use of it.
That doesn't get to the question that was framed, in terms of our long-term-care needs and the needs of those with disabilities, but it does get to the broad general population and the fact that if we re-educate, we don't necessarily need a lot of high-cost investment in infrastructure. We have it already.
Conservative
Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON
One thing I wanted to touch upon, actually, from the CMA submission, was caffeine intake. I know that in every room we have here on Parliament Hill we have coffee at the back of the room. How much of a concern is that? Is it sort of that everything in moderation is okay? I understand from when we looked at this before that a medium Tim Horton's has 80 milligrams of caffeine. A normal Red Bull has 80 milligrams of caffeine. Are you concerned about average intake, or are your comments directed more toward those who are taking caffeine in much more unusual doses?
Past President, Canadian Medical Association
You've given me the opportunity to segue to something that is near and dear to my heart, and that is the hidden ingredients in things.
In a committee hearing room on Parliament Hill, there's a coffee pot at the back of the room, and a group of adults can decide whether they wish to consume some coffee. When kids go out and buy vitamin drinks, or they buy energy drinks or whatever the heck they call those things nowadays, they are getting caffeine. And they're not getting just 80 milligrams. They might be getting 300 milligrams of caffeine in a small can of some kind of drink.
I'm concerned about the fact that these products aren't even honestly labelled, and they're marketed to kids who don't have the capacity to understand the implications of the choices they're making. So if you're going to put a product out there, where it's easily accessible and it's unregulated and people who don't have knowledge can actually purchase it, to me that's wrong.
Conservative
Past President, Canadian Medical Association
I think I just named several of them. I didn't use brand names, but vitamin drinks, energy drinks, and all of these sport drinks out there have hidden ingredients in them. There's a huge market of things people think are healthy, because they're marketed to that image, the image of the athlete or the participant.
Conservative
Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON
I've heard that before, but the main sources of those products we've looked at don't fall into that category. I've never seen an energy drink that actually had 300 milligrams. The one we know of, Red Bull, has 80.
When we talk about the products we should be very cautious about, I guess I'm curious about who the culprits are. I can appreciate if you don't want to mention any brand names, but this has been referenced a few times before in this committee. Is there anything more pointed you wanted to say on that?
Past President, Canadian Medical Association
My point is that there are many products of this sort that are marketed as though they were good for you and that are not good for you.
You made the point that moderation is key. A 12-year-old boy who's going to the store and buying a bottle of ersatz flavoured drink with jazz in it doesn't know the cumulative risks he is taking by buying those drinks. They shouldn't be out there in the first place.
Conservative
The Acting Chair Conservative Tim Uppal
Thank you very much.
Committee, we have a couple of minutes of committee business to do.
Thank you, witnesses. Thank you for your testimony. It's very valuable to our study.
[Proceedings continue in camera]