Mr. Speaker, all Canadians should be concerned about the issue of teen smoking.
I recently met with Dr. Cunningham, director of the addictions division of the Homewood Health Centre in Guelph. Dr. Cunningham reminded me that new smokers are almost always teenagers. It is extremely rare for adults over 20 to begin smoking.
According to the information we discussed, it takes only four cigarettes, smoked in a row, for a young person to become addicted to nicotine. Many people believe that tobacco is addictive. We must all be vigilant where tobacco products are sold and advertised and we must look at treatment programs aimed to help our kids quit.
Our children are our future. They deserve no less than an all out effort to discourage them from smoking and to help those who smoke quit. Let us give them a helping hand in the battle against tobacco.