FORCES Canada comment

National Post

Tuesday, April 06, 1999

Cigarette firms to talk with B.C. officials about teen smoking

Follows fee proposal: Government seen to be departing from hardline stance

Tom Arnold and Adrian Humphreys
National Post, with files from The Vancouver Sun

"We would be quite prepared to work with government to address the issues of youth smoking," said Dave Laundy, vice-president of the Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers' Council in B.C., a group that represents the three cigarette makers.

"We will certainly talk to them about it.

"But Mr. Clark's statement that the $20-million fee was a negotiating tactic was a surprise. Still, we have always believed that the government was serious about the $20-million fee."

Mr. Laundy said the tobacco giants would discuss cash and promotional campaigns to keep young people away from smoking.

Mr. Clark's strategy -- to negotiate concessions from the tobacco companies rather than forcing them to pay $20-million annually for anti-smoking campaigns --Êis seen as a significant departure from the hardline stance that has been taken by two health ministers, including Penny Priddy, who currently holds the portfolio.

They had insisted the government was banking on getting the cash.

But Mr. Laundy said the companies would not be prepared to negotiate any aspect of another provincial law, the Tobacco Damages Recovery Amendment Act, which allows the government to recover its tobacco-related health-care costs.

"The companies have no intention of discussing out-of-court settlements in this area," he said.

But despite Mr. Clark's suggestion of working towards a negotiated solution, B.C.'s health department is pushing ahead with plans to fully implement anti-smoking legislation.

The bill has been passed by the legislature, but has not been proclaimed into law.

Mr. Laundy would not discuss whether Mr. Clark opposed the original intent of the initiatives pushed by the health department, adding, "The premier is obviously the boss so we have to accept what he's saying and assume that that is the government's position."

When no mention was made of collecting any revenue when the province released its budget last week, some people questioned whether the government was giving up its aggressive fight with the industry.

Not so, health ministry spokesman Jeff Gaulin said. The act will definitely be enforced next year.

"We had to stagger it a bit over time. We have taken some time to enact the legislation so we didn't hit everybody over the head overnight," said Mr. Gaulin.

"The legislation is to change the way the industry behaves and operates towards children in British Columbia."

However, the premier explained the act was not delayed in a plan to phase changes in slowly, but rather it was in legislative limbo to avoid getting bogged down in another courtroom confrontation with the cigarette giants.

"The legislative package we brought is really designed to be a tactic to get the tobacco companies to the table," Mr. Clark said.

"What we're trying to do is avoid having years and years of lawsuits. We're trying to pressure tobacco companies to do the right thing."