The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Last year, a Right Corner article dealt with smoker's rights, or rather non-rights and the myth spread by health officials and anti-smoking groups that smokers cause a drain on the health care system. The article questioned this belief and quoted research done by CTV, which claims tobacco taxes of $8 billion are paid yearly by Canadian smokers while their health-care costs are $3 billion annually, plus $5 billion for the federal and provincial governments. The gist of the article was that smokers pay their own way and virtually all medical research claims that smoking is bad for you, including a very recent study out of Northwestern University in Chicago. The study of half a million patients found that 90 per cent of the patients with heart problems had suffered from one of the four major risk factors, often for many years before their heart illness. The risk factors are smoking, high cholestorol, high blood pressure and diabetes, plus obesity. If the patient smoked, their heart attack or other cardiac problem took place 10 years before patients who suffered from one or more of the other risk factors. A chilling piece of news for smokers. Until now, medical experts had claimed that 50 per cent of heart patients had none of the risk factors. So, readers, if you have none of the risk factors (or if they are under control), the chances of you having a heart problem are 7 percent for men and 13 percent for women. Other research shows that after five years, those who have stopped smoking will have no lingering effects, regardless of how long they indulged in the habit. There is however, some encouraging news for smokers. A study released by Greek medical researchers claims that smokers who drank two glasses of red wine a day negate any harmful effects of the smoking on their bodies. Researchers used only Greek wine in their study, and also insist that it doesn't matter if the wine is de-alcholized or not, just two glasses of red wine a day and you can keep on enjoying the noxious weed. I wonder if a Greek winery paid for the study? Smokers as we know are being besieged by governments at all levels. The City of Winnipeg began enforcing it's no-smoking bylaw on September 1. In jackboot fashion they sent out an army of smoke police to scour the bars and taverns for those breaking the law. The inspectors will ticket smokers and/or bar owners if any patron is caught indulging in the sin. Fines are heavy and most smokers interviewed vowed to stay home when cold weather makes outdoor patios unbearable. Winnipeg dragged the NDP government kicking and screaming under its non-smoking tent in the big city. The Doer government, quite unwillingly declared the two Winnipeg casinos smoke-free, and had casino security begin to usher smokers outside, eliminating the time-honored ritual of smoking while gambling or playing bingo. This leaves The Pas casino as the only smoke-filled casino in Manitoba, but maybe not for long. Why make the casinos smoke-free when most gamblers smoke, and the province needs the revenue? The answer given is the same as for bars, restaurants, stores, etc., in that smokers do not only harm themselves, but second-hand smoke is just as harmful to employees and other patrons. What about the rest of Manitoba? Prior to the June election, the NDP government agreed with Tory Dennis Rocan's private member's bill and established an all-party committee to study the issue of smoking in public places, and to report their findings and recommendations back to the Legislature. The affable Carman MLA Rocan, is a former Speaker of the legislature and a reformed smoker. He has become an anti-smoking crusader, and advocate of eliminating smoking in all public places in Manitoba. Heading the committee is Dauphin-Roblin MLA Stan Struthers, and it includes the NDP's Scott Smith of Brandon, Steve Ashton of Thompson, Greg Dewar from Selkirk, Winnipeg Liberal Jon Gerrard, and Tories Rocan and Loewen. Hearings have been held in Portage, Gimli, Thompson, Boissevein, Beausejour, Selkirk, Roblin, Swan River, St. Pierre and Winnipeg, but not in Flin Flon. Flin Flonners can take comfort that they can write a letter on this matter to Mr. Struthers. When questioned by a Reminder writer as to why Flin Flon was missed, the local MLA claimed he was away when the sites were selected, and, as it is an all-party committee, he did not think our city could be added. In any case, don't expect government legislation in the near future, and it is unlikely that city councils such as Flin Flon will follow Winnipeg's lead, but will wisely wait for the province to act, and take the heat from the oppressed smoking class. Sooner or later anti-smoking legislation will become law as smokers become more and more a minority. To repeat a question this corner previously asked: Why is government not spending money to help smokers quit the habit? After all, with a plus $5 billion in revenue over smoker's health costs, they can surely afford a million or so.
