Mr. Speaker, the Lung Association has been helping Ontarians for more than 100 years. The Peterborough branch has worked in our community for many years.
In the early days, the Lung Association successfully fought TB. In recent years it has been at the forefront of the fight against tobacco smoking in public and in private.
The association's “Lungs are for Life” school program directly addresses young people at a time when they are most vulnerable to tobacco addiction and at a time when lifestyles tend to be set.
Although great progress has been made against public smoking, there is still a great deal to do. One in five Canadians still smoke, 18% of young people still smoke and 12,000 people a year die from tobacco use in Ontario alone.
I commend Health Canada for its support of the Lung Association's fine work and I urge that it continue. I thank all those in the Peterborough Lung Association for their fine, dedicated work. I urge members to visit www.yourhealthyhome.ca.