Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de santé publique
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This commentary addresses some of the key legal challenges associated with establishing a national public health agency in Canada. These include issues related to privacy and confidentiality of personal health information in the public health context, constraints on the jurisdiction and powers of a national agency, the need to respect individual rights and freedoms in an outbreak situation, and international cooperation in infectious disease control. ⋯ This article discusses critical issues raised at a meeting in August 2004 that brought the research team together with key federal and provincial policy-makers and members of the public health community. The commentary emphasizes that law sets the foundation for public health activities, and the promise of a national public health agency will only be realized if significant legal issues are examined early on to ensure the agency is built on a robust legal and policy framework.
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With the advent of the Tobacco Act, tobacco marketing is now severely restricted in Canada. This article considers how the tobacco industry may conduct future marketing in order to circumvent the Tobacco Act. Past tobacco marketing strategies are discussed in light of how such strategies could be used in future marketing campaigns. In addition, this article highlights the need for private industries unrelated to tobacco to conduct socially responsible advertising so as to avoid inadvertently promoting tobacco.
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Can J Public Health · May 2005
Comparative StudyThe unbearable lightness of "light" cigarettes: a comparison of smoke yields in six varieties of Canadian "light" cigarettes.
Labelling cigarettes as "light" or "mild" is claimed to be one of the biggest marketing scams in Canadian history. Arguably, such labelling implies that these varieties of cigarettes are less harmful than "regular" cigarettes. In Canada, a food product can be labelled "light" if there is a 25% reduction from the "reference food" and if the constituent being reduced is clearly identified (e.g., light in fat). Cigarette labelling does not comply with these regulations, however. To examine whether or not some tobacco constituents meet the 25% reduction criterion, we compared yields of 41 toxic and/or carcinogenic smoke constituents in six varieties of "light" cigarettes to the yields of "regular" cigarettes. We selected cigarettes from the two most popular Canadian brands, Du Maurier and Players. ⋯ The six varieties of "light" cigarettes examined in this study do not differ substantially from "regular" cigarettes in terms of smoke yields. We argue that the modified ISO protocol should be implemented for a more valid comparison of potential smoke yields in all varieties of cigarettes and that labelling based on this protocol should be promoted.
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Can J Public Health · Mar 2005
Historical ArticleConquering the crippler: Canada and the eradication of polio.
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Can J Public Health · Jan 2005
Comparative StudyThe influence of motor vehicle legislation on injury claim incidence.
Although there have been numerous strategies to prevent motor vehicle collisions and their subsequent injuries, few have been effective in preventing motor vehicle injury claims. In this paper, we examine the role of legislation and compensation system in altering injury claim incidence. ⋯ The conversion from tort to pure no-fault legislation has a large influence in reducing motor vehicle injury claim incidence in Canada. Legislative system and injury compensation scheme have an observable impact on injury claim incidence and can therefore have significant impact on the health care system.