Tobacco taxes, patio smoking ban urged by 2 Ont. agencies
Posted March 20, 2012 5:01 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A sweeping report by two Ontario health agencies urges the province to raise taxes on cigarettes and alcohol and ban smoking on restaurant patios in order to crack down on the four big risk factors — smoking, drinking, poor eating and inactivity — that lead to chronic diseases.
The report by Cancer Care Ontario and Public Health Ontario also recommended mandatory phys-ed for students until Grade 12 and more nutrition information on menus to help prevent some cancers, heart disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The 22 recommendations are aimed at curbing the high percentage of preventable deaths in Ontario, and reducing the soaring cost of health care spending. Seventy-nine per cent of all deaths in the province were from chronic diseases that are preventable, the report said.
In 2010-11, Ontario spent $44.8 billion on health care, and the cost of health care continues to rise.
“If we don’t tackle these chronic diseases they are going to consume our health care budget and our entire provincial budget,” Dr. Vivek Goel, president of Public Health Ontario told CityNews.
He said that one-quarter of health care spending goes to looking after patients with these preventable diseases.
The report found that:
- 20.3 per cent of Ontarians continue to smoke.
- 21.7 per cent of Ontario adults 18 or older drink more alcohol than recommended.
- nearly half of Ontarians aged 12 or older report being inactive during their leisure time, and more than half have inadequate vegetable and fruit consumption.
- 60 per cent of men and 45 per cent of women in Ontario are overweight or obese.
Click here to read the full report.
