Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105497

Victoria Tunstall, Office of Regulations and Compliance, Tobacco Control Programme, 123 Slater Street, A.L. 3507C1, Ottawa, ON K1Y 2B8, Canada, (613) 948-2630, victoria_tunstall@hc-sc.gc.ca and Denis Choiniere, Office of Compliance and Regulation, Tobacco Control Programme, PL 3507B, 123 Slater Street, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada.

Fires started by smokers' materials are the leading known cause of fire-related death in Canada. From an analysis of Canadian fire statistics for the years 1995 to 1999, the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) reported that at least 14,030 fires were started by smokers' materials. These fires killed 356 people, injured 1,615 people and cost more than $200 million in property damage.

To address this issue Health Canada has proposed regulations that would require all cigarettes manufactured in or imported into Canada after October 1, 2005, to meet an ignition propensity standard. The intent of this regulation would be to reduce the fires started by cigarettes thus preventing the significant human and financial cost of such fires. A related set of regulations would also require annual toxicity testing of cigarettes and reporting of results.

The development of this regulatory proposal required a number of linkages between scientific research and policy analysis. This poster will provide an overview of how science was used to inform policy in the development of these regulations. More specifically the poster will cover the following:

• background research and history • the test method and testing of Canadian cigarettes • scientific issues identified during consultation and how they were addressed • planned monitoring and evaluation

Learning Objectives: After studying this poster, the reader will be able to

• Recognize how science feeds into the policy-making process
• Identify when and how to provide scientific input into the policy-making process
• Identify the type of information required by regulators when developing policy and/or regulations
• Understand the Canadian regulatory process (similar to U.S.).

Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, Tobacco Policy

Related Web page: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/tobacco/legislation/rip.html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.