a
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Health
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      January
      21,
      1992,
      the
      Minister
      of
      Health
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Social
      Services,
      Wayne
      D.
      Cheverie,
      announced
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      Tobacco
      Sales
      to
      Minors
      Act
      will
      come
      into
      effect
     
     
      on
      January
      25,
      1992.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘*According
      to
      the
      Student
      Drug
      Survey
      conducted
      in
     
     
      1990
      by
      James
      Killorn,
      29%
      of
      our
      Island
      youth
     
    
   
   
    
     
      between
      the
      ages
      of
      12
      and
      19
      are
      smokers,
      ‘‘the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Minister
      noted.
      “‘If
      we
      can
      prevent
      children
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      youth
      from
      starting
      to
      smoke
      until
      they
      are
      18
      years
     
     
      _
      of
      age,
      the
      chance
      of
      them
      becoming
      regular
      smokers
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
      very
      small.”’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      The
      Tobacco
      Sales
      to
      Minors
      Act
      will
      use
      a
      combina-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tion
      of
      strategies
      to
      reduce
      tobacco
      consumption
      by
     
     
      youth
      un
      der
      the
      age
      of
      18
      years.
      One
      focus
      of
      the
     
     
      Act
      is
      on
      education
      of
      the
      public
      and
      of
      retailers
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      itis
      wrong
      to
      assist
      children
      and
      youth
      to
      become
     
     
      addicted
      to
      tobacco.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Act
      is
      also
      part
      of
      a
      long
      tern
      approach
      to
      health
     
     
      promotion
      and
      disease
      prevention.
      In
      addition
      to
      its
     
     
      well-known
      health
      hazards,
      tobacco
      is
      also
      considered
     
     
      asa
      **gateway’’
      drug
      to
      other
      forms
      of
      substance
     
     
      abuse.
      Preventing
      children
      from
      having
      easy
      access
     
     
      to
      tobacco
      products
      will
      reap
      rewards
      in
      future
      Island-
     
     
      ers
      enjoying
      better
      health.
      This,
      in
      turn,
      will
      further
     
     
      reduce
      overall
      health
      care
      costs.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Minister
      explained
      that
      ‘‘The
      system
      of
      fines
      in
     
     
      the
      Actclearly
      gives
      the
      message
      that
      selling
      ciga-
     
     
      rettes
      to
      any
      one
      under
      18
      is
      considered
      to
      be
      aseri-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      ous
      offence
      by
      this
      government
      and
      will
      no
      longerbe
     
    
   
   
    
     
      acceptable.’’
      The
      fines
      increase
      from
      %500
      fora
     
     
      first
      offence
      to
      $10,000
      and
      loss
      of
      license
      to
      sell
     
     
      tobacco
      for
      the
      fourth
      offense.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      highlights
      of
      the
      Actas
      outlined
      by
      Mr.
      Cheverie
     
     
      include:
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it
      is
      illegal
      to
      sell
      tobacco
      to
      a
      person
      under
      the
     
     
      age
      of
      18
      years
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it
      is
      illegal
      to
      buy
      tobacco
      on
      behalf
      ofa
      person
     
     
      under
      18
      years
     
    
   
   
    
     
      itis
      illegal
      to
      buy
      tobacco
      for
      the
      purpose
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      resale
      to
      a
      person
      under
      18
      years
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
      vending
      machines
      must
      be
      located
      ion
      premises
     
     
      where
      access
      is
      supervised
      to
      prevent
      sales
      to
      minors.
     
     
      (Such
      as
      at
      the
      university)
      machines
      will
      still
      be
     
     
      permitted
      ion
      premises
      licensed
      under
      the
      Liquor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      X-P
      RESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      January
      30,
      1992
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Control
      Act
      »
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘‘The
      Government
      of
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
      is
      pro-
     
     
      claiming
      the
      Tobacco
      Sales
      to
      Minors
      Act
      in
      an
     
     
      ongoing
      effort
      to
      prevent
      youth
      from
      becoming
      ad-
     
     
      dicted
      to
      a
      habit
      that
      has
      major
      health
      consequences.
     
     
      Research
      shows
      that
      tobacco
      will
      kill
      eight
      times
     
     
      more
      smokers
      than
      car
      accidents,
      suicide,
      murder,
      at
     
     
      AIDS
      and
      drug
      abuse
      combined,’’
      said
      Mr.
      Cheverie.
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      U.P.E.1/
      HOLLAND
      COLLEGE
      DEBATE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Thursday,
      January
      30,
      1992,
      8:00
      pm
     
     
      Room
      040,
      Main
      Building,
      U.P.E.I.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘*Be
      it
      resolved
      that
      Canada
      should
      scrap
      its
      policy
     
     
      on
      bilingualism.
      ”’
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      3
      )