There have been worldwide campaigns about the dangers of smoking. Governments around the world have also been actively implementing laws to stop its citizens from smoking not just because of the health hazards but also because of the economic impact the vice has cost taxpayers.
For instance, the United States, which is the fourth largest tobacco-producing country in the world, has been spending more than $300 billion yearly as of 2016 for smoking-related illnesses. Of that amount, nearly $170 billion was spent for direct medical care for adults and more than $156 billion in lost productivity which also included $5.6 billion in lost productivity due to second-hand smoke exposure.
The Saskatchewan government could take a clue from there that smoking brings great dangers not only to its public but the provincial economy as well. Saskatchewan taxpayers could, in fact, bleed out from the almost $200 million in direct and indirect spending that goes into health care costs. Overall, the full cost of tobacco use in the province reached an estimated $1.08 billion or $1,063 per capita per year, according to a 2009 study.
Still, the province seems to be reluctant to amend its existing tobacco policy which health groups think are no longer effective.
Health groups called for tougher anti-tobacco policy
The Canadian Cancer Society, Breath the Lung Association, Dental Therapist Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan RN association, and Saskatchewan Dental Hygienist’s Association are only among the long list of health organizations calling for the province to enforce tougher tobacco laws.
The group noted that the government has not updated its Tobacco Control Act since its last amendment in 2010. For the almost ten years that passed, the culture of smoking has undergone drastic changes that could already well be beyond the bounds of laws existing at present.
For instance, flavored tobacco products are now widespread, the group highlighted. The growing number of individuals using e-cigarettes or vaping products is also alarming, not to mention the sprouting of the water pipe cafes or more popularly known as hookah lounges.
Of particular concern is the rising number of youths who smoke in the province, especially that tobacco has been claiming the lives of 1,500 Saskatchewan residents per year.
Saskatchewan has the highest number of youth smoking
The group, led by Saskatchewan Coalition for Tobacco Reduction, said the province has consistently been among the provinces with the highest youth smoking rates.
2017 data released by Statistics Canada showed that the rate of 15 to 19 years old who smoke in Saskatchewan was nearly three times the national average. To be exact, 22 percent of the youths in that age bracket living in the province are smoking while only 8 percent of their counterparts across Canada are fond of cigarettes.
Other surveys were equally alarming. The Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drug Surveys showed that 21 percent of children between grades 10 and 12 in Saskatchewan are hooked in tobacco. In 2016, the provincial SAYWAC Youth Health Survey showed that 10 percent of children between grades 11 and 12 have already developed the vice of smoking.
Saskatchewan government slammed for inaction on rising youth smoking rate
Donna Pasiechnik, Health Policy Analyst for the Canadian Cancer Society, highlighted that Saskatchewan seems reluctant to amend its tobacco laws compared to other provinces, despite persistent calls from health groups to do so.
For context, Quebec has implemented a policy where health departments adopt a tobacco control policy that will be subject for review by the authority every two years. The regulation was implemented since November of 2017.
Manitoba has already banned smoking on playgrounds, beaches, and within the vicinity of local parks and facilities such as sportsfield, patios, and hospital grounds.
One university in NWT has banned the selling of tobacco within school premises.
In Alberta and Ontario, tobacco retailers are required to pay an annual fee to have their licenses renewed.
“Most other provinces, as well as the federal government, have modernized their tobacco laws to address issues such as vaping and flavored tobacco. Our (Saskatchewan) high smoking results are the result of our government’s inaction,” Pasiechnik wrote in a statement.
Coalition recommends tougher tobacco policy
To address the issue, Saskatchewan Coalition for Tobacco Reduction released a comprehensive report detailing its recommended policies that it believed are more effective than the ones currently in place.
“We are urging the provincial government to act now, and do everything in its power to prevent youth from starting to use tobacco, to protect the public from exposure to second-hand smoke, and to support people who want to quit,” the group wrote in its report.
Some of the recommendations call for the government to regulate promotions of vaping products, ban flavored tobacco products, ban smoking and hookah in outdoor places including bars and restaurants, and sales of tobacco should only be permitted to buyers aged 21 years old and above.
Saskatchewan’s high smoking rate could be hurting economy
As mentioned above, Saskatchewan taxpayers could be paying almost $200 million in direct and indirect spending that goes into health care costs. That money would have been used to advance some community-related initiatives in the province that could enrich the lives of its people.
The government should address the issue immediately particularly that Saskatchewan is said to be one among the few Canadian provinces that still have not recovered from the economic downturn in 2018.