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Finance committee Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to be here. Most of the time, I will speak English. However, if you put questions to me in French, I will do my best to answer in that language. It's my privilege to be here on behalf of the Cancer Society, which is the country's large
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee It isn't spelled out in the brief. We're giving some flexibility for exactly what we think should be spent. We think that the strategy should be returned to its original target budget, which was about $100 million a year. It's currently $38 million.
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee It's a bit tricky separating all of the factors and attributing to any one of them, but I can tell you that Canada began a historic turnaround in smoking rates about 30 years ago. The federal government's commitment to that strategy also accompanied actions on a number of fronts.
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee Federal leadership has been key.
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee Well, today, about 18% of Canadians are smokers.
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee With respect, I'm not even going to answer the question, because the comparison that's being drawn would be deeply misleading. The fact of the matter is that an enormous number of things have been done to reduce smoking, and if the suggestion is that we can do as good a job savin
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee The federal government's revenue from tobacco taxes is $3 billion a year.
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee That's right, the funding for the federal tobacco strategy is currently about $33 million a year.
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee The most striking comparison is in the United States where federal investments in tobacco control are twice per capita what they are here in Canada.
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee In terms of advertising...?
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee Yes, there is actually no federal support currently for public awareness or advertising available because the funds have been so restricted. And it has also restricted the government's ability, for instance, to develop new legislation and to keep on top of regulations because the
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee I think generally there is no question that there is a collection of measures that are important to combine. The taxes themselves have been an enormously effectively measure to discourage smoking because as the cost has gone up that has caused a lot of people to quit. Measures
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee One of the arguments that has been used against plain packaging—and I have to say, it has mainly been by the industry, but I know other people with the right interests are also asking some of those questions—has been that somehow it will make contraband easier. There really isn'
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee Yes. There are seals on tobacco products in Canada to serve that exact purpose.
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller
Finance committee I have.
October 21st, 2016Committee meeting
Gabriel Miller