British Columbia’s Tobacco Control Strategy: Targeting Our Efforts

British Columbia is a leader in tobacco control, having the lowest smoking rate of any Canadian province. However, more work needs to be done. Our new tobacco control strategy has three key objectives:

• Stop youth and young adults from starting to use tobacco;
• Encourage and assist tobacco users to reduce and quit their use of tobacco products, focusing on the three groups with the highest rates of tobacco use; and
• Protecting British Columbians, particularly infants and children, from exposure to second-hand smoke.

The Ministry of Health recently released a Year in Review 2007. This newsletter profiled successful tobacco control partnerships with Health Authorities and non-government organizations that help British Columbia achieve the lowest smoking rates in Canada.