Alberta releases new tobacco reduction strategy

The province plans to enact legislation to ban smoking in vehicles when children are present as part of its new three-year tobacco reduction strategy.

The plan, released Monday by Health Minister Fred Horne, also includesintroducing provincial legislation to restrict the sale of flavoured tobacco andprohibit tobacco salesto minors; expanding programs to help people quit smoking: and offering more tobacco cessation training for health professionals.

The law prohibiting smoking in vehicles was sponsored by Liberal leader Raj Sherman andpassed unanimously by the legislaturein March.

Horne said some of the proposals will be controversial, including bans on flavoured tobacco and on the use of water pipes or hookahs in restaurants and bars.

"The plan is that we will put these together in one bill that we will put forward for the spring of next year," he said, adding that the bill will then be sentfor review toan all-party committee of the legislature.

Federal legislation prohibits the sale of tobacco to minors, but Horne said Alberta wants its own legislation to provide "clarity."

TheAlberta governmentisn't raising tobacco taxes right now. This is a measure that will be considered over the next decade, according to the province's news release.

Otheritems to be looked at in the futureinclude adding health warning signs where people buy cigarettes and placing additional restrictions on smoking in public areas.