The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #43858

Catherine O. Maule, Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative, 10 Alcorn Avenue, Suite 200, Toronto, ON M5J2S7, Canada, (416)934-5653, cmaule@cancer.ca, Murray J. Kaiserman, PhD, Health Canada, Bureau of Tobacco Control, Main Stats Bldg, Pl 0302G2, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada, and Michele Bloch, MD, PhD, Tobacco Control Research Branch, NCI, 6130 Executive Blvd., Bethesda, MD 20892.

As neighboring countries with many demographic and cultural similarities, the United States and Canada can learn from each other with respect to tobacco control. This presentation will provide some of the major points of comparison between the two nations with respect to tobacco use and control. While current smoking rates in both countries are similar at approximately at 23%, it is important to understand differences in how the two countries have achieved these levels. While taxation of tobacco products at the federal level has historically been higher in Canada, in recent years, American border states have increased taxes to higher levels than those found in neighbouring Canadian provinces. With respect to environmental tobacco smoke, the Canadian federal government has legislation protecting federal employees, while protection of non-federal workers and the public varies by municipality or province in Canada as it does in the U.S. The greatest difference between the two countries, however, results from Canada’s 1997 federal Tobacco Act which regulates the manufacture, sale, labeling and promotion of tobacco products in Canada. The act also restricts advertising of tobacco products and has enabled recent changes to the warning labels on tobacco product packaging. No comparable legislation exists in the U.S. Recent data has begun to indicate that Canada’s population-wide tobacco control measures, such as product labeling, are achieving intended impacts. The evidence emerging presents valuable opportunities to inform decision-making in the United States and Canada.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify indicators that characterize similarities and differences in the nature of tobacco use between Canada and the U.S.
• Describe differences in local, regional and federal tobacco control policies in each country.
• Articulate opportunities for investigating the differential impacts of tobacco control measures on tobacco use.

Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, Tobacco Control

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Statistical information is made available by Statistics Canada and the US Census Bureau. Policy information is available from Health Canada and a variety of US states and organizations.
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.