- Target:
- Ontario's provincial politicians, health advocates, and advocates for the elderly
- Region:
- Canada
Every year, hundreds and perhaps thousands of Ontario’s non-smoking seniors
living in seniors’ apartment buildings die from the effects of second-hand smoke.
These seniors could be your grandparents, your parents, your siblings, your
close friends – even you in the near future! Second hand smoke is known to
not only affect our breathing and cause cancer, but worsen heart problems,
diabetes and other aging health concerns with which we have to contend. And
the added costs to Ontario's health care system are enormous.
Although Ontario has excellent non-smoking legislation now for public spaces
and the workplace, as well as nursing homes and hospitals, we desperately need
similar legislation for seniors’ apartment buildings, particularly those with
assisted living services.
Even CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, formerly ARF - Addiction
Research Foundation) now prohibits smoking in ALL its facilities. Ontario
politicians need to take their cue from this world renowned specialist in
addictions.
Approximately one quarter of Canadians smoke now, but only 12% of seniors
do. There is absolutely no reason why nearly 90% of seniors should be
subjected to this attack on our health and quality of life in later years. But,
unlike Ontario homeowners who no longer have to deal with smoke ever again
if they wish, seniors in apartments don’t have that choice. And we are dying
because of it!
Seniors who require assisted living are frail and usually have at least one serious
health concern, therefore we need an environment to assist us to heal, or
at least maintain our current level of health. This is impossible in buildings
where smoking is allowed and second hand smoke (along with the various
accompanying poisons) seeps into every apartment.
Help us. We want to enjoy the time left to us in the best health possible - and
at far less cost to the Ontario’s taxpayers! Please sign the petition now.
Ontario has excellent non-smoking legislation for public spaces and workplaces,
as well as hospitals and nursing homes. We desperately need similar legislation
for seniors’ apartment buildings, particularly those that offer assisted living
services.
WE CALL ON ALL OF ONTARIO’S PROVINCIAL POLITICIANS to pass legislation
immediately to make seniors’ apartment buildings smoke free, particularly those
that offer assisted living services.
AT THE SAME TIME, RECOGNIZING THE STRESS THIS WILL CAUSE FOR
CURRENT TENANTS IN SENIORS’ FACILITIES WHO SMOKE, we call on politicians
to set aside monies saved from the health care system due to this legislation
for:
(1) the construction of a “smoking room” in each facility (on a floor on which no
persons reside), with a smoke proof entrance and a separate air circulation
system that vents to the exterior of the building,
(2) support for those who wish to quit smoking, and
(3) assistance to find suitable accommodation elsewhere, if they choose.
SOS - SAVE OUR SENIORS FROM SECOND-HAND SMOKE
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The SOS - SAVE OUR SENIORS FROM SECOND-HAND SMOKE petition to Ontario's provincial politicians, health advocates, and advocates for the elderly was written by S0S - Save Our Seniors and is in the category Health at GoPetition.