The Honourable Anne McLellan
Minister of Health
Ottawa Canada
K1A 0K9

18 July 2003

Dear Minister,

Nicotine Reduction

While this treaty aims at banning tobacco advertising and increasing public education about smoking we believe there is an even more dramatic step that you as Minister can take. We, Dr. Mark Roper and a group of us in Montreal, are convinced that any framework on Tobacco Control should include the concept of reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes to non-addictive levels over a period of years. In a letter written to your predecessor, Allan Rock in 2001, Dr. Roper made the following points, which are still entirely relevant today.

“Certainly the main goal of us all is to prevent addiction to nicotine in adolescents. Most teens smoke because it looks cool or they like the taste. Nicotine, being a tasteless substance, affects neither of these motives. What it does do is convert what may be a harmless phase to a life-long and dangerous habit.

Cigarette companies have known this for some time, and as we are now aware, have developed nicotine-manipulating technologies to increase the levels of nicotine in cigarettes. The same technologies can be used to reduce it.

Since nicotine is not included in the motivators for adolescents to smoke its reduction and eventual elimination will unlikely be noticed by new smokers. Addicted smokers certainly will however and nicotine containing cigarettes can be made available in more controlled way. Nicotine patches are also available as a non-carcinogenic treatment for those addicted."

As Minister of Health it is within your power to mandate a reduction in nicotine. In previous correspondence on this topic it was pointed out that if Canada unilaterally reduced the nicotine level then smuggling of “full strength” cigarettes would occur. We accept this point, and would argue that nicotine reduction should be taken within The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and within NAFTA.

There is now movement on both the U.S. side of the border with the American Medical Association and here in Canada. The CMA is proposing a motion to direct the Health Canada to make nicotine reduction a matter of public policy and implement corresponding directives and laws. This proposal will be voted on at the CMA conference at the beginning of August. As you will be speaking at this conference we would ask that you consider supporting this proposal at this forum.

We would be interested to hear your position on this suggestion that we believe, in the long run, will greatly reduce tobacco addiction and all the disease and misery that affect so many people unnecessarily. Tobacco inducted disease is the number one preventable disease – please use your good offices to continue the steps you took yesterday.

I have discussed this letter with Dr. Roper, who fully supports it.

Yours truly,

Professor Gerald Ratzer

CC:
Dr. Mark Roper
Director, Division of Primary Care
Department of Family Medicine
McGill University Health Centre

Wednesday Jul 23, 2003 Dear Professor Ratzer,
many thanks for the information on your campaign! I appreciated it very much. We are also doing some work on treating the most addicted, treating them 3 weeks in a rehab centre, the treatment is paid by the federal health insurance, which is really new in our country. In Europe the nicotine and tar levels will be reduced. There was a discussion on nicotine levels - how much nicotine should be in cigarettes. To find the level of nicotine content which avoids that smokers smoke more cigarettes and inhale more deeply to get out enough nicotine to be satisfied - very tricky discussion.
Please keep me informed about your campaign
Kind regards Anita Rieder

> > Datum: 2003/07/22 Di PM 04:06:54 GMT+02:00
> An: anita.rieder@chello.at
> Betreff: Nicotine Reduction

Wednesday Night on Wed 1115 | w-n on Smokeing & drugs
Allan Rock | Fed Gov Notes...