Madam Speaker, I am pleased to be here today to discuss the government's efforts to reduce tobacco use among young Canadians.
Protecting the health of our kids is a priority. We have put in place a comprehensive four pronged strategy that includes legislation, regulation, enforcement, research and public education.
In April 1997 the government passed the Tobacco Act, one of the toughest tobacco control laws in the world. It restricts access by young people to tobacco products, empowers governments to introduce stronger health warnings and establishes broad powers for tobacco regulation. Let me remind members that the World Health Organization has recognized our Tobacco Act as one of the toughest in the world.
We have initiated consultations on the process of regulation which would make those regulations among the most stringent in the world. We are addressing labelling and promotion of tobacco. We have already alerted Canadians to the realities of light and mild messaging. We have hosted a round table with experts to learn about strategies designed to increase public awareness and to ensure that concerns about tobacco are widely known.
We are working with provincial governments to increase compliance. We recognize this is a serious problem. That is why we are working with the National Cancer Institute on monitoring and surveillance activities.
We have committed $50 million over the next five years to encourage and support young Canadians not to smoke. In addition, we have a caucus committee which is looking at enhancing options for tobacco public education efforts.
Our priority is protecting the health of young Canadians. As I said, we have a comprehensive strategy. The one thing that is certain is that the critic for the New Democratic Party will never be satisfied. That is a good thing. It is her job to complain, to criticize and to issue rhetoric. That is why we are here—