Suchergebnisse

Insurance coverage for evidence-based smoking cessation treatments (SCTs) promotes uptake and reduces smoking rates. Published studies in this area are based in the US where employers are the primary source of health insurance. In Ontario, Canada, publicly funded healthcare does not cover SCTs, but it can be supplemented with employer-sponsored benefit plans. This study explores factors affecting the inclusion/exclusion of smoking cessation (SC) benefits. In total, 17 interviews were conducted with eight employers (auto, retail, banking, municipal and university industries), four health insurers, two government representatives and three advisors/consultants. Overall, SCT coverage varied among industries; it was inconsistently restrictive and SCT differed by coverage amount and length of use. Barriers impeding coverage included the lack of the following: Canadian-specific return on investment (ROI), SC cost information, employer demand, government regulations/incentives and employee awareness of and demand. A Canadian evidence-based calculation of ROI for SC coupled with government incentives and public education may be needed to promote uptake of SCT coverage by employers.

This research note provides an overview & an update on the social & political backgrounds of all elected Canadian legislators at the federal & provincial/territorial levels of government in 1996. For provincial/territorial legislators, data are presented by electoral jurisdiction, & for all legislators by level of government & political party. Relatively few differences in social characteristics were found between the two levels although there were some variations by province, territory, & party. Business, education, & law are the three most prevalent occupations, although the latter has declined among legislators over time. There is little movement of members from the provincial to the federal level. The most common political experience of both groups lies in municipal governance. Over time, women have increased their share of seats past both levels. Even in a polity such as Canada with high rates of legislative turnover at both federal & provincial/territorial levels & with new parties emerging, most changes in social & political experience backgrounds proceed incrementally. 2 Tables. Adapted from the source document.

Objectives: To examine the congruence in perceptions and attitudes of legislators and the public regarding tobacco and tobacco control policies. Methods: Two cross-sectional surveys were used, one of elected federal and provincial legislators and one of adult residents in Ontario, Canada. Perceptions and attitudes were analyzed as dependent variables using multiple logistic regression, and adjusted for age, sex, educational attainment, and smoking status. Findings: Congruence was found in most instances, however, some differences were found. Legislators were more likely than the public to agree that most smokers are addicted and were more supportive of a smoking ban in workplaces, but these differences disappeared after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics. Legislators were also more aware than the public of the magnitude of deaths due to tobacco compared to alcohol, whereas the public was more supportive of strong penalties against stores that sell cigarettes to minors. Conclusions: Our findings provide considerable evidence for congruence in the "real-world" (unadjusted) perceptions and attitudes of Ontario legislators and the Ontario public toward tobacco control policies. Such findings are positive for tobacco control advocates and should be leveraged to bring forward strong tobacco policies in the political arena.

Research has shown that tobacco users have an increased risk of collisions compared to nonsmokers. Studies from 1967 through 2013 documented a crude relative risk of collision involvement of about 1.5 among smokers compared to nonsmokers. In January 2009, in response to concerns about the health risks associated with potentially high concentrations of secondhand smoke resulting from smoking in vehicles, the provincial government in Ontario, Canada, introduced legislation restricting smoking in vehicles where children and adolescents are present. We examined the association between reported smoking and involvement in a motor vehicle collision in a large representative sample of adult drivers in Ontario, Canada, from 2002 and 2016, with particular focus on 2002–2008 and 2010–2016, periods before and after the legislation. Data are based on the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Monitor. Among licensed drivers, prevalence of self-reported collision involvement within the past year for 2002–2008 was 9.39% among those who currently smoked compared to 7.08% of nonsmokers. Following implementation of the legislation, for 2010–2016, the prevalence of collisions for smokers was 7.01% and for nonsmokers was 6.02%. The overall difference for both smokers and nonsmokers between the two time periods was statistically significant; however, the difference between the two groups for the pre-legislation period was significant even after adjusting for potential confounders, while post legislation the difference was not significant. Prior to the legislation, the prevalence of collision was higher among smokers than nonsmokers; following the introduction of the legislation the prevalence was similar for the two groups.