Ontario Pipe Smokers - BILL 176 Attacks Pipe Tobacco

[brighampipes]

Ontario Pipe Smokers,
On Monday April 4th, 2011 a new Bill was introduced to Ontario Provincial Parliament which will bring an end to the sale and distribution of flavoured tobacco in Ontario. This includes pipe tobacco, cigars and smokless tobacco.
Ontario is the first to propose legislation of this sort and other provinces will likely adopt similar wording – A scenario we have seen in the past. All Canadians should be aware of this legislation and steps must be taken immediately to stop this encroachment on pipe tobacco.
The politicians who represent you need to be sent a clear message: Get Your Hands OFF Our Tobacco.
We are urging Canadians to get involved and get on the phones. Call your local Member of Parliament and tell them to stop meddling in tobacco. Contact your Municipal, Provincial & Federal representative and don’t let them get away without hearing your plight. Write letters, write emails – the last time legislation like this entered government it passed in TWO MONTHS (Bill 124).
We don’t want to stop this bill. We want to stop ALL of the bills which affect pipe tobacco.
Contact your MPP

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_current.do?locale=en
Contact your MP

http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E
Understanding the Bill

Bill 176 is sponsored by France Gélinas (NDP) ON MPP of the Nickel Belt. It’s an amendment to the Smoke Free Ontario Act which adds to the long list of restrictions on tobacco. The Bill sets out a list of approved flavouring agents. Anything that does not appear on this list is not approved for use. So what flavours can be used? Only 3 and they are all Menthol designed for cigarettes.
The bill is available here:

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&Intranet=&BillID=2478
********Disclaimer********

This article is written on behalf of Brigham Enterprises Inc - A Century old supplier to the Canadian premium tobacco marketplace. Let it be known we stand to suffer a loss if this legislation passes. As a distributor we follow all of the rules, pay our taxes and fight for the rights of premium tobacco smokers. We have never, ever distributed cigarettes.
Mark Anthony

 

[classicgeek]

Augh. I'm in British Columbia, not Ontario. What can I do?
Simon

 

[stacen]

All Canadian smokers should be aware of this. It will trickle to all provinces. It will become one more to add to the list of reasons I left that country, and have never looked back. I am completely repulsed by the nanny state. Regulating away someones hobby because you don't think they have the ability to decide for themselves what to do with their own lives. - Bull Crap.
edit: Original Poster should change the thread title to CANADIAN PIPE SMOKERS ATTENTION REQUIRED.

 

[marmal4de]

Augh. I'm in British Columbia, not Ontario. What can I do?
Simon

I'm in BC as well, didn't we have some bill pass about flavoured tobacco already, specifically geared towards cigarillos?

 

[brighampipes]

Simon – Contact your MPP & MP and let them know you support the ability to choose your own habit without restrictions from Parliament. There is a community amongst pipe smokers which needs to be mobilized to stop this encroachment on our rights. I don’t see picket signs and protests as the way to make change here – just write an email to the government to make your case. Write a letter. Pick up the phone and call those responsible for this bill. Start Here:
France Gélinas, MPP (Nickel Belt)

Room 159, Main Legislative Building, Queen's Park

Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A5
Tel 416-325-9203

Fax 416-325-9185
fgelinas-qp@ndp.on.ca

 

[brighampipes]

marmal4de - The wording for the recent BC legislation was adopted from Ontario Bill 124, passed last year. The MPP responsible for it was the same person, France Gélinas. I strongly recommend adding your 2 cents to the Ontario debate before it's carbon copied across the country.

 

[stacen]

Maybe we can get some eloquent ideas together on here, to send to the author of the bill. Why can't there be language in the bill that still achieves the aims of the author, but allows for pipe enthusiasts to continue thier hobby. I am sure the purpose of the bill is not to keep pipe smokers from getting the tobacco's they enjoy...

 

[schmitzbitz]

For those in B.C., you can find your MLA here, Brigham speaks the truth about the other provinces (and territories) falling in line with Ontario if this passes, we need to make a stand and save our hobby!
Remember, we in the Western most province will probably visit the polls four times in 2011; perhaps we can make this an election issue?

 

[marmal4de]

I have written several letters to my MLA, John Yap Richmond-Steveston.

 

[brighampipes]

I prepared this letter for a member in another forum who could not find the words himself. Please feel free to use this as a guide. Make any changes you need and send to the elected officials who represent you.
To My Member of Parliament:
I recently became aware of Canadian Legislation which, if passed, will represent a significant disruption in my favourite past time – smoking my tobacco pipe.
I would like you to know that I am a person who votes, pays taxes and obeys the laws of our country. I smoke my pipe as a consenting adult and I don’t appreciate government involvement in something I feel I have the right to do.
In a bill currently before Ontario Provincial Parliament there are restrictions being applied to flavoured tobacco which could directly affect the availability of pipe tobacco across the country. The bill grants only 3 flavouring agents to be acceptable, all of which are Menthol – an ingredient only found in cigarettes.
Do you believe concessions should be offered to cigarette companies while pipe smokers are unlawfully removed from their supply?
Menthol cigarettes represent more tobacco consumption than all pipe smoking and flavoured cigars combined – do you think this exception was made without the involvement of the cigarette industry?
This procession of legislation which leaves cigarettes unaffected must come to an end. I request your assistance in dismantling this bill and ending further action on flavoured tobacco across Canada. For more information please research the following:
Bill 176 - An Act to amend the Smoke-Free Ontario Act in respect of certain tobacco products.
I look forward to your reply.

 

[admin]

Good luck with this guys. Thanks for posting your input brighampipes!

 

[ichbinmuede]

My MPP and MP both got a letter from me. Damn these anti-smoking nazis.

 

[schmitzbitz]

My MLA, France Gelinas, and my MP (as well as the local Federal candidates) have all received letters from me.

 

[landsurfer]

Here's what Gélinas spewed in the first reading of the bill amendment:
"It is my pleasure to introduce this bill. It being Daffodil Month and Cancer Awareness Month, I thought it would be appropriate. This act is very simple and proactive. The act says that no person shall sell or distribute flavoured tobacco products, whether it be new tobacco products or smokeless tobacco products. As more and more youth in Ontario are being targeted by flavoured tobacco products and becoming addicted to nicotine, this act aims to prevent the next generation from becoming addicted to nicotine and curb the rise in cancer rates across Ontario."
So, the aim is to remove it from the shelves of local retailers. I don't understand the logic of her comment: "...youth in Ontario are being targeted..." How are they targeted? There's zero tobacco advertising, you must be 18 to enter a tobacco shop, all tobacco products are hidden from sight in convenience stores, etc. etc. Retailers have done their due diligence! Maybe parents should bloody well pay more attention to what their kids are getting into.
I assume I'll still be able to order online from my favorite US shop... until the feds decide that my private tobacco purchases and personal use are somehow affecting the youth of Ontario. Idiots.

 

[smokeybear]

Man I just got into pipe almost year ago and I live in Ontario this sucks big time I better stock up where I can.

 

[pruss]

Gents, Bill 176 has been through "First Reading" but has not progressed beyond this point... yet. It still has to go through "Second Reading" wherein it's debated in principle, then there is the opportunity for "Review by Committee" wherein public debate and amendments are considered, before a final "Report to the House", then "Third Reading" and finally "Royal Assent" at which point the bill becomes law.
There is still plenty of time to write to your provincial MLA to share your opinion here.
FWIW - Here is a link to Bill 176: http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&Intranet=&BillID=2478
-- Pat

 

[smokeybear]

The thing that pisses me off is there closer to legalizing weed which is apperently socially acceptable here but they attack pipe tobacco like its the worst thing for you and people around you. Cigarettes just keep on floating by. Stupidity plain and simply.

 

[northernneil]

How do they determine what "flavoured" is? Does it have to be cherry of vanilla, or would cavendish and navy flakes fall into this category?

 

[cavendish]

I live in BANtario (or Onterrible) and I for one am tired of them taking little things like this away from people. Smoking in public places (a by-law in some cities in ON) is starting show itself across the province as well. There was talks a while back they wanted to ban smoking in apartment buildings, condos and townhouses. Their excuse was it poses a fire hazard. I read they wanted to include single family dwelings in the bill and after that was announced it sort of fizzled from talks and out of the media and I lost track of it and haven't heard/read anything since. Now smokers get slapped with yet ANOTHER restriction or we lose something we like.
I can see why they want to prevent people from smoking due to health care costs and the like, but I highly doubt a kid is going to smoke a pipe let alone aromatic pipe tobacco. To buy tobacco here you have to be 19yrs and show ID if you look under 25 (just like the Beer Store and LCBO) albiet some variety stores might not ask for ID if they 'look' over 25 so they don't. When I was 14 I looked like I was 19. When I was 18 I looked 25 and only because of facial hair and size was I able to buy cigarettes and alcohol underage when I wasn't asked for ID. This probably still happens today and when I did it NO ONE smoked a pipe or pipe tobacco or flavored tobacco. Some of my friend's dads smoked a pipe but they never smoked it or tried it, some of them still smoke cigarettes to this day.
The lobyists, antis, and tree hugger health freaks are offended by tobacco, and tobacco smokers so they whine to the government about it and now are infringing on people's right to free choice in life. However they say we are infringing on their right to the choice of clean air (and they will say for childrens sake too just to twist the knife a little more) but this is about children starting to smoke flavored tobacco because they don't like regular tobacco isn't it? There are SO many children that smoke cigarettes in school it's out of hand? I call BS on that one! I think the antis need to leave tobacco smokers alone and worry about what their children breathe in from cars produced by auto makers who continue to manufacture vehicles that burn carbon fuels and cause greenhouse gasses or industrial poluters and other manufacturing contaminations in our air, water, and ground/food.
This rattles my chain to no end. I will be sending a letter to my MP as well as emails to rally support.

 

[canadianbiggame]

This Thread was from 2 years ago? Is this still an ongoing problem in ontario?