TOBACCO
NEWS FROM CANADA October 2003 Comments by Warren Klass Dateline - Niagara Falls, Ontario
There is an election coming. In the summer I was interviewed by Health Canada and I stated it was my intention to attempt to make the $480 million Liberal party funded PARASITE Industry an election issue. Whether these two events are in any way connected is anybody's guess. More people smoke in Canada than vote Liberal in elections. A regular Forces Canada reader from Niagara Falls, Ontario sent me an e-mail. The correspondent monitored the web site of the Non-Smokers Rights Association. (Gar Mahoodlum and his Taliban Vice and Virtue Committee). Apparently Gar and the rest of the fun gang at NSRA are "livid" that Dreamboat Annie would have the temerity to cut their budget. Awwww. The correspondent asked if I would pass on the request that readers of Forces Canada send an e-mail to the Rt. Hon. Anne McLellan to express their appreciation for this first step and to let her know how they feel about hundreds of millions of taxpayer money going to these PARASITES. Thus I will play the Oracle of Delphi. If anyone wants to contact Health Minister Anne McLellan her e-mail address is: ministerministre@hc-sc.gc.ca Dateline - Brandon, Manitoba
Smoking bans in urban areas have been tough on business, but rural communities have even greater challenges. The Brandon Sun points out that rural restaurants have a much smaller customer base. They are presently dealing with other uniquely rural issues like the mad-cow scare and a downturn in the pregnant mare urine industry. There is no question a smoking ban will kill off much of the rural restaurant industry. One owner states unequivocally that customers will simply stay home. I believe that the N.D.P in Manitoba will likely impose a Province-wide ban. So thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses will be lost. Its a small price to pay for Social-Engineering fantasies. When a similar ban was imposed a few years ago in B.C. also by an N.D.P. government 730 jobs were lost within 6 weeks. B.C. has about half the percentage of smokers as Manitoba. The B.C.N.D.P. lost the next election 77 seats to 2. If and when a smoking ban is imposed throughout Manitoba, I suggest going to North Dakota or Minnesota (Highway 59 South) just over the border. Cigarettes, alcohol and gasoline are a fraction of Manitoba's prices. The Canadian dollar has increased 20% in the past couple of months. Dateline - Regina, Saskatchwean
In several days Saskatchewan voters are going to the polls. More people smoke in Saskatchewan than vote N.D.P. in Provincial elections. I strongly encourage Saskatchewan smokers to go to the polls and vote for the Saskatchewan Party to send the lifestyle social-engineers of the N.D.P packing. The polls all point to a very close election, so if Saskatchewan smokers feel that they have had enough of the busy-bodies of the N.D.P, please go to the polls and send them a message. Sunday is the big Saskatchewan Roughriders-Winnipeg Blue Bombers playoff game. Even though I have been a lifelong Blue Bomber fan and was a season ticket holder for over 25 years until the smoking ban in Winnipeg Stadium, I think its fair to say that the rest of Canada would like to see the Saskatchewan Roughriders (Canada's team) representing the west in the first Grey Cup Game ever held in Regina. For Americans and others who read Forces Canada, the Grey Cup is Canada's equivalent of the Super Bowl. Irrespective of the final two teams, I am sure Regina will put on a party that the rest of Canada won't soon forget. Dateline - Edmonton, Alberta
An agricultural expert quoted by the Sun expressed surprise that tobacco would even grow in Alberta. Apparantly you need very sandy soil to grow tobacco. It is for this reason that Canadian tobacco is exclusively grown in Ontario and Quebec. I wish all aspiring Alberta tobacco growers the best of luck and hope they all bring in bumper crops. Dateline - Trois-Rivieres, Quebec
Dateline - Ottawa, Ontario
Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief told C.P: "The roundtable will offer tobacco producers and the communities in which they live an opportunity to focus on identifying options and possibilities and possible directions for the future." What does this mean? Knowing the Liberals most likely some kind of bailout before the election to keep the farmers and the towns affected quiet and voting Liberal. The same courtesy was not extended to restaurants, bars, bingos wiped out from this Liberal Party crusade. If you are a tobacco farmer in Ontario or Quebec be assured the Liberals will bail you out. If you are in the hospitality industry -you are S.O.L. Dateline - London, Ontario
Forces Canada strongly encourages London residents to consider supporting the following candidates for Mayor and other positions on Council: Bud Polhill, Mark Denecev,Linden John Cassina,and Stan Hall. Dateline - Thunder Bay, Ontario
Both the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal and the Thunder-Bay Source are encouraging people to go to the polls and support banning smoking. If you are a resident of Thunder Bay please stay away. The question on the plebiscite is deliberately misleading." Public Places" does not mean the library. It means Joe's corner restaurant or bar. There are hundreds of restaurants and bars that employ thousands of people that will be wiped out if this passes. Please do not go to the polls Nov.10.The anti-smoking nuts, are lavishly funding a get out the vote drive. This will definitely pass if 50% go to the polls. Dateline - Kenora, Ontario
The Kenora Miner reported that Sarsfield was given an award for his efforts by none other than Gar Mahoodlum of The Non-Smokers Rights Association (Canada's very own Liberal Party financed Taliban Vice and Virtue Committee.) When not trying to make our lives miserable, Gar is big on handing out awards. Last summer Gar gave Toronto Public Health Reichfuhrer Dr. Sheela Basur an award for trying to ban DSR's in Toronto. For those of you who have forgotten, Sheela (Toronto's Poster Girl for affirmative action) was busy pushing smoking bans, while SARS simultaneously exploded under her highly competent watch. The taxpayers of Canada should be relieved to know that the $480 million dollar Liberal PARASITE Industry hands out awards. Forget the Academy awards, Emmys or Grammy's-we lucky Canadians now have our very own Gar awards, whose cost is more than the rest combined. Perhaps we should get Canada's other $500 million a year waste of taxpayer money, the C.B.C. to cover this awards show live. Maybe Gar is on to something: The award for best performance in the role of a Public Health Doctor who fools the public into believing her competency, or that she has a clue what she's talking about-Sheelah Basur. Who could forget Sheela going on CNN every day last summer telling the world Toronto was SARS free. Or Sheela making a complete ass of herself in front of Toronto City Council testifying about sealed, enclosed DSRs? And the first annual Gar award for portrayal of a slimy villain who will stop at nothing, say anything no matter how devoid of evidence to push an agenda. And the winner is - Peter Sarsfield. Forget Marcus Welby and Dr.Kildare (who smoked by the way) - the new face of Canadian medicine - the out of control bureaucrat. Dateline - Brandon, Manitoba
The Free Press reported that if the N.D.P government does not impose a Province-wide ban (hello North Dakota, Minnesota) it will be only because of the potential loss of VLT revenue. If the hospitality industry loses millions they are S.O.L, but its a very different story if government revenues are involved. Dateline - Regina, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan will soon have an election that the rest of Canada is ignoring. I urge smokers in Saskatchewan to vote for the Saskatchewan Party and send the Social-engineers of the N.D.P packing. In other news from Saskatchewan, Saskatoon voters threw out the anti-smoking mayor, who finished fourth and the Moose Brained residents of Moose Jaw voted in a smoking ban, even though the hospitality industry told CBC Saskatchewan 85% of patrons are smokers. In the history of civilization there has never been a society that allowed minority rights to be decided by the majority. Dateline-Waterloo, Ontario
Whatever one requires, Waterloo resident, Eric Boyd certainly possesses. Eric is a young, modest fellow from Waterloo who wrote an absolutely magnificent letter to the Winnipeg Sun in response to the Laurie Mustard column profiled last week in Forces Canada. Mustard claimed those who smoked around their kids should be charged with assault, manslaughter or murder. With Eric's permission I am reproducing what this remarkable young man had published in Thursday's Winnipeg Sun in response: "Mustard intolerant Laurie Mustard's "little harsh" diatribe against smokers (Don't make kids inhale your smoke,Oct.15) demonstrates you don't have to be wise to be articulate. Mustard's intolerance towards his fellow Canadians is only one of the more obvious evils that ooze from the anti-smoking crusade. The anti-smoker rhetoric Mustard parrots disparages one-third of all Canadians, encourages intolerance towards them, and undermines the freedom our society so dearly cherishes. It closed businesses and charities, inflicts serious financial hardships on others, exaggerates the certainty of scientific knowledge and destroys trust in our public health professionals. It has so politicized health research that the smoking "variable" now distorts our health studies, all the while sucking huge sums of scarce health-care funds away from the desperate needs of the sick and the elderly. The anti-smoker campaign may enjoy Mustard's support, but I doubt it truly reflects the ethical values of Winnipeg Sun readers. Eric Boyd Dateline-Thunder Bay, Ontario
In his spare time Thomas wrote letters to newspapers that have been published across Canada. Thomas' latest letter was published in his local paper The Chronicle-Journal. This rag has published slanderous stories about Thomas, while portraying the anti-smoking PARASITES as the second coming of Mother Theresa. Thomas despite being published across Canada was never allowed to have his say in the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal until Friday. Here is what Thomas wrote: "From a legal and common sense stand point, how can city council dictate what goes on inside restaurants, bars, taverns and bingos especially when they are dealing with a legal product such as smoking? If management has the right to refuse service to anyone for various reasons then it should be up to the individual owners what is allowed in their place of business. Provided it is not a criminal offence." Dateline- Plympton-Wyoming, Ontario
Dateline-Sudbury, Ontario
Obesity has replaced indoor smoke as the big cancer scare in Sudbury. According to Friday's Sudbury Star it is responsible for 30% of the cancer cases. Not a word was uttered of course about the Nickel mine. Unlike my counterparts on the main Forces page, I have not devoted a great deal of attention to this idiocy. Briefly, the Health nuts have redefined weight requirements for obesity so the numbers are "epidemic." The only disease directly linked to obesity is Type II diabetes. But this hasn't stopped the phony obesity scare campaigns from getting going. For disclaimer purposes I am 5'11,180 pounds. I guess under the new definition this makes me" obese." What are these busy-bodies after? Money. Money for huge new bureaucracies. Money for conferences on teen obesity in Miami in winter. Money for propaganda campaigns. Where is the money for all this nonsense going to come from? New taxes in Ontario of course. These PARASITES can't even wait for Dalton to take office to push for an agenda. Whatever happened to pollution and Global Warming? Weren't they supposed to be the big cancer causing killers in Ontario? There was a TV show in the 70s called Fernwood 2 Night starring Martin Mull. One of the skits involved a Doctor from the" highly prestigious Fernwood Community College" who claimed that leisure suits caused cancer. His proof? He had some rats dressed up in leisure suits and they all got cancer. The claims of the Sudbury and District Health Unit are equally as ridiculous. Dateline- Yellowknife, N.W.T
But the stupidest, most moronic comment about this belongs to Gay Ottawa City Councilor Alex Munter. Smart Alex, like Winnipeg's Gay mayor Glenn Murray are big on having everyone respect their lifestyle choices while simultaneously depriving everyone of theirs. CBC North quoted Alexander the Great as assuring Yellowknife that soon everything will be back to normal-just like in Ottawa. The reality of Ottawa is not quite as sanguine as Alex likes to claim. Even if it was, there are a few differences between Ottawa and Yellowknife. Yellowknife does not have a free spending bureaucracy that can piss away $400,000 on restaurant bills - at public expense of course - the way former privacy commissioner George Radwanski did. Yellowknife did not have one of Shelia Copps flunkies piss away $150,000 on restaurant meals. These are just the most outrageous examples that made the papers. God knows how many others have not made the papers. If Smart Alex is so concerned about the health of the Yellowknife hospitality industry, why not lead the charge to transfer whole departments of our beloved Liberal Government from Ottawa to Yellowknife. Given the numbers quoted by CBC that's the only way for the Yellowknife hospitality industry to survive. Dateline-Ottawa, Ontario
As to be expected the anti-smoking nuts, led of course by the head quackette, Cynthia Callard, at Physicians For A Smoker Free Canada are screaming that this is the end of the world. Cynthia was all over the Ottawa Citizen warning of the dire consequences of Ottawa reigning in these PARASITES. The dire consequences should be a few less Heather Crowe ads about getting lung cancer from second-hand smoke, and perhaps one less conference in Miami in winter on teen smoking. I have three words to describe Ottawa's sudden nervousness about unlimited funding for these PARASITES. Two of them are BIG DEAL. Paul Martin must be getting nervous about the potential backlash these PARASITES represent to Liberal prospects in the upcoming election. Gee,I hope it was something I said that makes the Liberal Party nervous. Smokers of Canada-if you want to get rid of these PARASITES once and for all-have them shipped on a one-way smoke-free Air Canada flight, with a complimentary copy of the Grope and Flail to Angola to clear land mines-then please go to the polls and vote Alliance/Conservative in the upcoming election. California has shown that the easiest way to get rid of the anti-smoking PARASITES is to vote out their political patrons. Once again, I'll play Nostrodamus: I predict in the coming days a full page ad in the Grope and Flail and editorials in the Toronto Red Star from Physicians for a Smoker Free Canada, Gar Mahoodlum and his Taliban Vice and Virtue Committee (Non-smokers Rights Association), and the rest of the mob of unnecessary duplicates warning of apocalyptic consequences of having their budgets cut. Dateline-London, Ontario
Dateline, Montreal, Quebec
I'll play Nostrodamus once again: I predict that the lucky taxpayers of Canada will be stuck with the $30 million tab. What's a mere $30 million to buy some Liberal votes in Quebec? The Liberals usually spend Billions porkbarelling in Quebec. An extra $30 million is peanuts to the Liberal party, when votes in Quebec are at stake. Dateline-Winnipeg, Manitoba
In his column Wednesday, Laurie wants parents who smoke around their kids charged with assault, manslaughter or even murder. Honest. Evidence used to substantiate this blood-libel? None. My goal here is not to get into a pissing contest with a skunk like Laurie Mustard, but I will say this as both an asthmatic and a parent, this argument is so ridiculous as to be beneath contempt. For those of you unaware, a 92 page judgment by U.S. Federal Court Judge William Osteen VACATED (null and void) every one of the more common MYTHS about smoking around kids. Based on vast epidemiological evidence second-hand smoke does not cause or irritate asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, inner ear infections etc. The FORCES evidence archives contain vast evidence to substantiate this point. But an even greater irony may be that by not smoking around your kid or raising your kid in a hyper-sterilized environment you may well be inducing asthma through" lazy lung." Lazy Lung" is what happens when rich kids grow up in no-smoking, hyper sterilized environments. Their lungs do not get the proper exercise, thus become highly susceptible to asthma. This theory of "Lazy Lung" was put forth by Dr. Fernando Martinez, director of respiratory sciences at the University of Arizona. Dr.Martinez was the author of the two "Vacated" parts of the EPA report on second-hand smoke: Passive Smoking and Respiratory Disorders Other Than Cancer and Assessment of Increased Risk for Respiratory Illness in Children From Environmental Tobacco Smoke. Dr. Martinez has recanted his previous assertions regarding second-hand smoke, and now believes that not smoking around kids and raising them in a hyper sterile environment induces asthma through" Lazy Lung." Dr. Martinez told Atlantic Monthly Magazine:" Like most people I assumed tobacco smoke and pollution were the problem-this was the politically correct way to think. But these factors turned out not to play a major role. In high pollution areas, in low pollution areas, among all ethnic groups, there was asthma. Clearly something else was involved." Does Civilization Cause Asthma, Atlantic Monthly, May 2000). Dateline-Montreal, Quebec
Le Presse Canadiene (Canadian Press) Monday reported that Agence France Press in a datelined story out of Osaka, Japan quoted Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone as saying he is still trying to save the Montreal Grand Prix. No word as yet on how the tobacco sponsorship issue will be resolved. Dateline-Winnipeg, Manitoba
Even in middle-class south end Winnipeg the effects have been devastating. Business and VLT revenues are down by 20%.I can only imagine what business must be like in the more blue-collar areas, such as the north end. This being Loserpeg, the solution proposed is to extend the ban throughout the Province. One of Loserpeg's resident geniuses on the issue, and the architect of the smoking ban, City Councilor Mark Lubosch was quoted as wondering why restaurants don't market themselves to the "80% of Winnipeggers who don't smoke." Its actually more like 70%-and that includes a huge number of children, but never mind. As anyone in the hospitality industry will tell you its the 20-30% of smokers who account for 90% of revenues for many restaurants. Dateline-Simcoe, Ontario
In the last category a loyal Forces Canada reader sent me the propaganda and lies put out by the Simcoe, Ontario Health Department regarding second-hand smoke. The FORCES evidence archives disproves this nonsense to a virtual metaphysical certainty, but the congenital liars just keep repeating these lies. Why? I wish I had a good answer, but I don't. Why don't they just admit that this whole crusade is social-engineering 101?Every one of these lies about" passive smoke" was first dreamed up by Hitler. The Nazis ultimately had to pass a law outlawing the ridiculing of the claims of the anti-smoking nuts. Propaganda Minister Goebell's coined the famous phrase:" A lie repeated 1,000 times becomes the truth." Hitler came up with:" Its easier to sell the people one big lie, rather than 1,000 small lies." Gracie Slick and the Jefferson Airplane kicked off the 60s with the words:" When the truth is found to be lies. And all the joy within you dies. Don't you want somebody to love?" I prophesize that North American teenagers will discover all the endless lies they have been constantly fed, and like German teenagers in the 1930s take up smoking in record numbers. Here are a few lies from the Simcoe Department of Health. The links did not open but I've heard this mantra a million times: Second-hand smoke is harmful. Non-smokers breath in the equivalent of 36 cigarettes in an 8 hour shift. There is no economic harm in smoking bans. And ventilation/designated smoking rooms don't work. The truth: Forces calls the second-hand smoke claims" The Hoax of the Century." In 400 years medical science has never linked second-hand smoke to anything. Every claim regarding second-hand smoke is devoid of evidence and has been "Vacated"( null and void) by courts who examine evidence. There is not one iota of evidence linking second-hand smoke with: lung cancer in non-smokers (40 documented causes) heart disease(300 documented causes) asthma (thousands of causes), bronchitis, pneumonia, inner ear infections, SIDS, leprosy, or the heartbreak of psoriasis. The longest most comprehensive study ever undertaken in history on the effects of prolonged exposure to second-hand smoke was conducted by the U.S. Department's of Energy Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennesee. Contrary to the lies of the anti-smoking nuts, hospitality workers are exposed to the equivalent of 2-3 cigarettes a year not 36 cigarettes a day. No adverse health effects were reported in the Oak Ridge study. No economic effects from smoking bans? Pick a month, any month in the Forces Canada archives to see how ridiculous that claim is. The claims of the anti-smoking nuts regarding ventilation systems are based on twenty year old systems. Modern systems are 100% effective. The Designated Smoking Room argument is just too stupid to bother responding to. Dateline-Toronto, Ontario
Also in Toronto Town Crier Online has reported that further smoking restrictions in Toronto have been put on the back-burner by City Council-until after the next municipal election. Dateline-Wawa,Ontario
Wawa is back in the news, having jumped on the anti-smoking bandwagon. The
Ottawa Citizen is reporting on PUBCO's attempt to organize the Wawa hospitality industry to fight smoking bans. Not much has seemed to change in These are the great "Progressives" cheered on by the Ottawa Citizen. Dateline-Arden, Manitoba
The Winnipeg Free Press, however, printed an excellent letter from a correspondent named Leonard Paramor from Arden, Manitoba on what a Provincially mandated smoking ban will do to his community. Here is Mr.Paramor's letter from Saturday's Winnipeg Free Press: "Let rural business get on with business The Winnipeg business community wants the province to restrict the right of rural businesses to make our own business decisions regarding smoking controls. It seems they are concerned that a few beer and/or coffee drinkers are escaping from the city and spending a few dollars in rural areas. They want a" level playing field." Then how about passing a law to prevent rural shoppers from spending hundreds of millions of rural dollars in Winnipeg annually. I suggest that before crying about a level playing field, city businesses, the city, and the province should acquaint themselves with the meaning of the word level. An average city retailer, bar or coffee shop has many thousands of potential customers living or working within easy walking distance. Over half of the population of rural Manitoba has migrated to the cities and larger towns in the past 40 years in search of jobs and services. Why are we so determined to kill the few rural services that have managed to survive, to kill rural Manitoba? May I also draw your attention to a factual error in Tim Cook's article on page A 13,Oct4.The stated $3.8 billion is actually the federal tax collected on tobacco products in Canada annually, not the retail value. The total value is about $45 billion, of which over $25 billion goes to federal and provincial tax collectors. One last question: Why do non-smokers stubbornly insist on patronizing the businesses that allow smoking rather than those that have gone smoke-free voluntarily? If the non-smokers would demonstrate a little common sense in this regard, there would be no need for the heavy hand of the law to be involved in what should be a voluntary business decision." Dateline-Winnipeg, Manitoba
Izzy Asper died the other day in Winnipeg. He was the owner of Global TV, Southam Newspapers (National Post, Vancouver Province Sun, Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald, Regina Leader Post, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, etc, etc). He was Winnipeg's only Billionaire. He was a major philanthropist and a great man. Izzy Asper was a chain smoker who died of heart disease at age 71. 90% of the "premature" deaths associated with smoking are over 70. As you know there is a draconian smoking ban imposed in Winnipeg. In a datelined story out of Winnipeg Can West Newsservice (owned by Mr. Asper) quoted Winnipeg Mayor Glenn Murray as "joking" that Mr. Asper was the only exception allowed to Winnipeg's smoking ban. Murray stated that Mr. Asper was allowed to smoke in the Mayor's office. Murray imposed Winnipeg's smoking ban for those of us not lucky enough to be Billionaires. Here is Winnipeg Free Press editor Nicholas Hirst's account of his last meeting with Mr. Asper on Friday. Remember smoking rooms are banned for the rest of us in Winnipeg: "I last spoke with Israel Asper on Friday evening. He attended Prime Minister Jean Chretien's last fund raising dinner in Winnipeg...he had to go in the room set aside for smokers. He had already lit up. "I have always called him "Mr. Asper" and he has always smoked. The cigarette in his hand was as much his trademark as the outlandish shirts he often wore." Winnipeg's smoking ban never seemed to inconvenience the late Mr. Asper. Dateline-Quinte West, Ontario
Dateline-Midland, Ontario
The Midland Free Press writes: "The preamble to Jefferey's motion was based on his claim that Midland council assured all businesses that there would be very little, if any distress and financial hardship, if smoking was banned outright. However the preamble stated that the passage of the new bylaw has caused "substantial distress and financial hardship for at least four establishments." "I know of four who are losing big bucks", Jefferey said. "It shouldn't have happened." Dateline-North Bay, Ontario
In a related story someone from Waterloo, Ontario sent me a story from the Waterloo Record that the last of Waterloo's bingos had closed because of the smoking ban. I had a computer breakdown and the story got lost and I asked the person to re-send it. They never did. Dateline-Stratford, Ontario
"Council taking responsible approach to smoking bylaw To the Editor: I am writing on behalf of the Pub and Bar Coalition of Canada (PUBCO) and can only congratulate the Stratford city council for taking the time to fully debate and consider the ramifications of the various options available when developing a smoking bylaw. This is in stark contrast to other municipalities that have chosen to rush through smoking bans with almost obscene haste. This is a serious issue with major potential financial ramifications to bar and pub operators and PUBCO applauds council for arriving at what appears to be a humane and responsible compromise. As an organization that represents the pub and bar industry, we can state unequivocally that 100 per cent bans are a financial disaster for our industry and there is ample proof to justify this. We can also state with equal confidence that the hazards associated with second-hand smoke have been grossly exaggerated by the anti-smoking advocates. There is also solid scientific research to back up this claim. Other municipalities, spurred on by health units and the like have chosen to totally ignore the economic consequences and to force through 100 per cent bans regardless of the impact on their bar and pub industry. Failure to take into account the evidence of potential impact analysis could well render such councils liable for major compensation claims when businesses suffer losses as a result of such decisions-as they definitely will." Barry McKay Dateline-Winnipeg, Manitoba
The fall-out from the recent Saskatchewan Court decision that ruled the "Out of Sight, Out of mind" law banning indoor displays of cigarettes unconstitutional has been felt in Manitoba. The Winnipeg Sun reported Tuesday that Today's N.D.P. Health Minister Dave Chomiak has shelved the implementation of a similar law scheduled to come into effect Jan.1/2004. The reason cited is the Saskatchewan Court's decision. Saskatchewan's anti-smoking nuts all got together to put out a press release calling for an appeal to the Supreme Court. But the Saskatchewan Government already announced they will appeal to the Supreme Court. But Canada's $480 million dollar PARASITE Industry has to do something to justify its existence. Thus the Lung Association, Cancer Society, and the rest of the PARASITES put out a superfluous press release. The Winnipeg Free Press on Tuesday quoted a cross Canada poll taken before Loserpeg's smoking ban that ranked Loserpeg as Canada's most unfun city. The funnest city in Canada? Montreal. By co-incidence Montreal has no smoking ban, although I'm sure Canada's legion of Liberal Party funded PARASITES are working to change that. The Free Press also reported that the city in Canada with the worst municipal infrastructure is, of course, Loserpeg. The city in Canada with the highest murder rate three years in a row? Loserpeg. The child poverty capital of Canada? The arson capital of Canada? The highest property taxes in North America? Obviously Loserpeg. The #1 problem of municipal government and the Plutocracy that calls the shots? Smoking bans of course. Dateline-Calgary, Alberta
Dateline-Niagara Falls, Ontario
It should be comforting to note that's one's home and office is now considered a public place in Ontario. It seems that this dangerous criminal was turned in by an anonymous snitch who contacted the local snitch line. Comparing present day Ontario to Nazi Germany or Stalin's Russia is of course a spurious comparison. Dateline-Orilla,Ontario
FORCES Canada urges smokers in Orilla to vote for Nick Montague. Dateline-Toronto, Ontario
Forces Canada has endorsed John Nunziata for Mayor. Mr. Nunziata is the only major candidate for Mayor of Toronto who believes decisions on smoking should be left to individual business owners. If you are in Toronto I urge you to attend. Dateline-Regina,Saskatchwean
Canadian Press reports that the Saskatchewan Court of Appeals struck down Saskatchwean's "Out of sight, out of mind law" that forced retailers to hide the display of cigarettes. Before we all get too excited, the Saskatchewan N.D.P. government is promising an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Rothmans, Benson Hedges spokesman told Canadian Press: "It is a basic right under the Charter of Freedoms to display a legal product at retail. "The fact that tobacco products are available on display in a store has really little to do with or nothing to do with, the reasons why people smoke." No kidding. Months ago FORCES Canada reported that this idiocy had not made a dent in youth smoking. What was accomplished was that small corner store retailers lost thousands because in store displays were banned. The threat of a similar law in Manitoba was responsible for hundreds of Mac's Milk jobs moving to Alberta. Other Provinces were considering similar laws. As usual Canada's $480 million Liberal Party funded PARASITE Industry had their fingerprints all over this. Paul Van Loon (a real anti-smoking loonatic) from the Saskatchewan Lung Association told C.P. this "normalizes smoking. It makes it appear that tobacco use is more common and more accepted than it actually is." What a country where the likes of Paul Van Loonatic, who couldn't get elected dog-catcher, is put in a position where he dictates social norms, and a bunch of social-engineering politicians allow this to go on. Dateline-Calgary, Alberta
Also in Calgary is the flip-flop involving the University of Calgary Student Union. Friday's Calgary Herald reported that in exchange for $7-10,000 the financially hard pressed student union allowed tobacco companies to sponsor concerts. As was to be expected the anti-smoking nuts went crazy. By Friday night CFCN TV was reporting that the deal was off. No more sponsorships at the U of C. Another big win for the PARASITES. Dateline-Edmonton, Alberta
Dateline-Winnipeg, Manitoba
The Free Press finally broke the silence of how Loserpeg's smoking ban has affected business: "But the effect of the ban is hitting some bar owners in the wallet, and is costing some people their jobs. "Penny Bancroft, a single mother of a teenage daughter in Winnipeg, was laid off from her job at the Sherbrooke Inn after the ban was implemented. She had worked in the lounge for almost two years. "I knew it was coming because week after week we were going down in customers to almost nothing" she said." Every night it was nearly empty in there." "Bancroft wasn't the only staff member Sherbrook Inn owner Terry Baily had to lay off. "He said the ban has severely affected his bottom line and he suspects it will launch a ripple effect that will negatively affect a variety of other industries. "I know I'm ordering less beer" he said." And I'll be remitting less PST and GST. This is just the tip of the iceberg." Expect to see lots more of these kind of stories from throughout Manitoba in the not too distant future. And finally from Loserpeg, in case you missed it, our dearly beloved Prime Minister told the Winnipeg Free Press that when he leaves office Chretien wants to try marijuana to see what all the hoopla is about. Apparantly more Canadian teens smoke pot than in any country in the world. Chretien said when he leaves office it will be "with a joint in one hand and the money to pay the fine in the other hand." I hope Chretien is not planning to SMOKE pot. His very own Health Canada bureaucrats put out a press release last summer urging Canadians to consume marijuana through the form of a "rectal suppository." Health Canada blabbed on about the harmfulness of smoke. I hope Chretien shoves his joint up his ass to let us all know about his experiences. This was Health Canada's advisory not FORCES Canada. Dateline-Montreal, Quebec
One of the organizers, Alain Creton the owner of the restaurant Alexandre claims the group has already raised $200,000. Bon Chance! Dateline-Gatineau,Quebec
In a Canadian Newswire Press release the Quebec Restaurant Association expressed outrage at these undemocratic, underhanded tactics. These are the kind of antics one expects from Ontario not Quebec. Vive le Quebec. Vive le Quebec libre. Dateline-Ottawa, Ontario
The web site of the Non-smokers Rights Association, (which I have repeatedly referred to as "Gar Mahoodlum and The Taliban Vice and Virtue Committee) has called FORCES Canada and Pubco "Tobacco Industry Front Groups." My name is Warren and I am not now nor have I ever been a stooge for Big Tobacco (for those of you too young to remember, a direct parody of the McCarthy hearings in the 50s over communism). Neither is Barry McKay and PUBCO. (Pub and Bar Coalition of Ontario). For the umpteenth million time FORCES Canada is strictly run by grassroots volunteers. Our mandate is to stand up for the rights of consenting adults to consume a legal product free of harassment. Big Tobacco has no input in to what goes in to FORCES Canada. They have never directly or indirectly contacted FORCES Canada to either plant or suggest a story or to kill a story. What goes into the FORCES Canada page is decided by myself. FORCES Canada has never received a dime from Big Tobacco. The Tobacco companies in Canada have never lifted a finger for smokers rights. I have repeatedly gone on record asking Ontario and Quebec smokers to switch to Indian brands to save a few bucks and to send Big Tobacco a message. I have gone on record criticizing Big Tobacco for continuing to fund Arts Groups where their contributions are anonymous. This gave a huge propaganda win to our enemies. With friends like FORCES Canada, Big Tobacco doesn't need enemies. Thus to Gar Mahoodlum and his gang of Liberal Party funded PARASITES -- you can call me any name you like. You can Call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, or you can Call Me Ishmael (Moby Dick), or you can Call Me Irresponsible, yes I'm unreliable, throw in undependable too (Call Me Irresponsible was a Jack Jones song from the early 60s). But don't call me a stooge for Big Tobacco. Dateline-Montreal, Quebec
Dateline-Edmonton, Alberta
Thus to Gar and his gang who carefully monitor Forces Canada-are Edmontonians For Choice a "Tobacco Industry Front Group"? Or are Edmontonians For Choice a bunch of Independent businessmen and women who spent years putting in 80 hours a week to build a business to see it ruined by a bunch of PARASITES with an agenda? Edmontonians For Choice must be a Tobacco Industry front group because Gar Mahoodlum et al deny that smoking bans hurt business. Dateline-Toronto, Ontario
More typically in Wednesday's Grope and Flail was the story on women's health. Grope and Flail health "reporter" Andre Picard, who should be confined to covering fires, wrote a polemical piece on women's health. Canadian women have a life expectancy of almost 81 years-but if they gave up illicit sex and smoking researchers claim this COULD, maybe, possibly, theoretically be increased to 85.Sounds like fun. You've come a long way baby. Just a final reminder for Ontario voters: Dalton McGuinty and the Provincial Liberals are threatening a province wide smoking ban and a $10 increase per carton in cigarette taxes. Dateline-Montreal, Quebec
If I had to bet, I'd wager that the Liberal Party will spend another $30 million pork-barreling in Quebec. What's another $30 million to buy some votes in Quebec? The anti-smoking nuts who dictate Liberal Party policy will be happy. Montreal keeps its #1 Tourist attraction. And the taxpayers of Canada get screwed once again. As Yogi Berra once said:" You can observe a lot by watching." Dateline-Edmonton, Alberta
Dateline-Winnipeg, Manitoba
However, in a huge surprise C.P. carried an account of the hearings on Sunday. The C.P. story made the front page of Monday's Winnipeg Sun. The Grope and Flail carried an abbreviated account of the C.P. story. Here are some excerpts from the C.P. story: "You're a citizen who is obeying all the laws and all of a sudden some people decide they want to de-normalize you for some great higher purpose, for some wonderful fantasy of the secure and sanitary utopia, as Hitler called it" said Class. "Class is president of FORCES Canada. It stands for Fight Ordinances to Restrict Control and Eliminate Smoking. "As the committee wrapped up its public hearings in Winnipeg, Klass reminded it that Hitler was a non-smoker who waged a determined anti-smoking campaign in Germany, which failed." Also in Loserpeg, the Winnipeg Sun, Free Press and CBC reported on a convention of some 125 "Tobacco Control experts" - whatever that is - from around the world meeting in Loserpeg. One of these Academic daydreamers quoted by the Sun claims that one third of Winnipeg smokers will quit because of the smoking ban. The number increased to one-half in Wednesday's Free Press. Yeah, sure. But the whole pretext supplied was supposed to be about health, not social-engineering. Speaking about the phony health claims about second-hand smoke, I received a fascinating e-mail from a non-smoking doctor, a retired professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago. He is a regular reader of Forces and Forces Canada. He wanted me to convey a couple of messages to Forces Canada readers: "The medical community has made a complete ass of itself on the smoking issue...The smoke from cigarettes is nothing when compared to the smoke from poorly filtered coal burning facilities used to generate power; but the political issues are so different." |
October 30 -
A couple of weeks ago, Forces Canada carried a story from the Ottawa
Citizen that reported that the Right Hon. Health Minister Anne McLellan
(Dreamboat Annie) decided to reduce a grant to the Anti-smoking PARASITES from $71 million to ONLY $58 million. The original Ottawa Citizen
story only quoted Cynthia "The Mallard" Callard one of the Quackettes at
Physicians For A Smoker Free Canada warning of apocalyptic consequences of
this budget cut. Dreamboat Annie McLellan was quoted as promising more cuts
to come.