ONTARIO LUNG ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS FIVE YEAR PLAN FOR TOBACCO CONTROL

TORONTO, Oct. 19 /CNW/ - The Ontario Lung Association (OLA) reinforces its support for the tobacco control recommendations announced today by the Tobacco Strategy Advisory Group (TSAG) in its new report, Building on our Gains, Taking Action Now: Ontario's Tobacco Control Strategy for 2011-2016.  Since 2004 the Ontario Lung Association has been an active stakeholder in the Ontario government's Smoke-Free Ontario strategy, a member of TSAG and assisted in developing the report. The lung health organization backs the recommendations in today's report and believes they will advance the important strides already made to protect young people and adults from the grip of tobacco addiction.

"We are proud to have worked with so many health partners in the development and timely release of this report.  It's really time to correct common misperceptions about smoking and see it for what it is: one of the strongest addictions there is," says George Habib, president & CEO, Ontario Lung Association.  "And if we agree that smoking is not a lifestyle choice, but a life-threatening addiction, it's imperative that we step up our tobacco control efforts into the future.  While there have been many achievements and good work to date, there is still much more that needs to be done. Too many Ontarians are dying because of tobacco-related diseases, deaths that could be prevented with the right approach and strategy."

In addition to supporting all recommendations of the TSAG report, the Ontario Lung Association is urging the provincial government to implement a province-wide smoking cessation system that recognizes that tobacco use is an addiction that requires multiple, sustained efforts to help individuals quit and includes increased access to smoking cessation medications.

The OLA is encouraging Ontarians to sign a petition supporting the need for a Lung Health Strategy that includes a comprehensive smoking cessation system.  The petition is available at: www.on.lung.ca/olhs.

"Currently, tobacco products are too readily available to both people who currently smoke and those vulnerable to starting," continues Habib.  "As well as supporting those who wish to quit, the report is a bold shift that targets the tobacco industry, the source of the tobacco epidemic."

The Ontario Lung Association provides a variety of programs and services to prevent smoking and to help smokers quit. The Youth Advocacy Training Institute (YATI), funded through the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport, engages young people in taking up the movement against big tobacco and seeing the tobacco industry for what it is as lung health advocates. The Ontario Lung Association Helpline is staffed by certified respiratory educators who are trained to provide telephone counselling services to help people quit smoking. Call 1-888-344-LUNG (5864)

The Ontario Lung Association reiterates the need for government to implement the report's recommendations in order to move closer to ending tobacco-related disease and death.  More than two million Ontarians have lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer.

About The Lung Association

The Lung Association is one of Canada's oldest voluntary, not-for-profit health-promotion organizations. The Lung Association is concerned with the prevention and control of asthma, chronic lung disease caused by smoking and with air quality and its effect on lung health. The Ontario Lung Association was incorporated in 1945, and has community offices across the province. Visit the Ontario Lung Association online at www.on.lung.ca, or call 1-888-344-LUNG for more information.

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