NDP lags on tobacco law, say anti-smoking groups
They fear provisions of legislation passed five years ago could expire
Anti-smoking advocates say that after showing initial promise, the NDP government has been a disappointment when it comes to fighting tobacco use in Alberta.
Tobacco opponents note the Notley government continues to delay proclaiming key pieces of the Tobacco and Smoking Reduction Act that was passed five years ago under the previous Progressive Conservative regime.
The NDP has also made no changes to tobacco taxes since an increase in its first budget in 2015.
Les Hagen, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said the NDP got off to a fast start shortly after taking office in 2015 by banning menthol cigarettes and chewing tobacco.
But since then, there has been “nothing ” from the NDP, he said in an interview this week.
“What do we have right now? We have zero traction,” said Hagen, who called the government “very disappointing ” on tobacco issues.
“We’ve got a bill that’s several years old that is largely unimplemented. And according to my meetings with Alberta Health, it’s not moving forward anytime soon.”
Anita Pieters, of the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Alberta, described the government as “stagnant” on tobacco reduction since its initial flurry of activity.
The groups are part of a coalition of health organizations called Campaign for a Smoke-Free Alberta, which is pressing the government to fully implement the Tobacco and Smoking Reduction Act.
A fact sheet from the Canadian Cancer Society says a number of steps need to be taken to fully enact the legislation. These include removing the exemption allowing underage youths to sell tobacco and the exemption that has allowed flavoured shisha and water pipe tobacco.
The government also needs to set an implementation date for mandatory retail training and reporting to help prevent sales to minors.
And the province needs to proclaim sections of the act that would allow a ban on water pipes and electronic cigarettes in public spaces and workplaces. If they are not enacted by January 2019, those unproclaimed sections of the act will expire, said Angeline Webb, director of health promotion and policy with the Canadian Cancer Society in Alberta.
“The government isn’t moving forward on a bill that was democratically passed,” Webb said.
Webb said she has raised the issue repeatedly to Health Minister Sarah Hoffman and other government officials. While the government gives reassurances that it takes the issue seriously, Webb doesn’t know why it has failed to act.
“Maybe tobacco industry interference? They’re always good at manipulating any opportunity,” she said.
“But maybe it’s just not a priority for this government.”
Hagen wants the NDP to curtail its interactions with tobacco industry lobbyists, especially as it touts efforts to increase transparency around lobbying with the new Bill 11.
He points to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to which Canada is a signatory, that calls for any dealings with the tobacco industry to be limited to public forums, with full disclosure.
Hagen said that in opposition, the NDP were fiercely critical of the PC government for its dealings with tobacco lobbyists, but the industry “still seems to have the upper hand in Alberta, even with the Notley government.”
Hoffman was not made available for comment on Tuesday or Wednesday, but her office said she has had no meetings with tobacco industry lobbyists since her appointment in 2015.
In a statement, Hoffman said the government understood the importance of “robust” antitobacco laws.
“My staff is working closely on outstanding pieces of this legislation, but it’s essential we take the time to get this policy right. We’ve taken steps to curb smoking rates by banning flavoured tobacco and implementing tobacco tax increases, but we know more must be done.”
The government isn’t moving forward on a bill that was democratically passed.