Sunday, May 31, 2009

177...Government Hypocrisy

On a micro level this time.

As reported by CanWest News Service's Meagan Fitzpatrick in the Regina Leader-Post yesterday the Canadian Convenience Stores Association is none too happy with the new laws on tobacco, laws that their members are expected to enforce.

Dave Bryans, president of the association, made a sound point when he said the government should also ban the possession, consumption and purchasing of tobacco for anyone under the age of majority. As it stands now only Alberta and Nova Scotia proscribe sub 18 year olds from smoking. He goes on to make a great point, to wit: “You don't see teenagers standing outside of high schools in Canada drinking beer, because they are not allowed to. So if we're that serious about teen smoking, and retailers and our association is, then let's just get on with it so we can all move forward and run businesses instead of having one Band-Aid solution after another.”

The way it stands now, the government is hooked on tobacco as much as smokers are, hooked on the drug for the revenues it brings to their coffers.

WFDS

1 comment:

  1. If flavoured tobacco targets kids does that mean flavoured alcohol targets kids too. It must right, what adult would drink lemonade or tomato juice with alcohol in it? What adult would drink cream or orange flavoured alcohol? Clearly these products are targeted to kids the same way flavoured tobacco is.
    Someon needs to blow the lid of this! What goes better with a drink than a smoke? I bet tobacco companies have conspired with alcohol companies to get kids hooked on drinking first so they can then sell them tobacco! If we are really concerned about our kids we should make drinking underage illegal and drinking and driving illegal so they don't kill themselves. Oh wait, it already is. Well, considering we have laws on this I guess that's that. Let's focus on smoking then.

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