Latest news with #Tam
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Canadian Vaping Association Highlights Plans to Reduce Youth Vaping Rates on World Vape Day
Ottawa, ON, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On World Vape Day, the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) celebrates the continued decline in youth vaping rates, as reported in Statistics Canada's 2025 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (published March 26, 2025). This progress (achieved without flavour bans) demonstrates the success of balanced policies that prioritize both youth protection and harm reduction for adult smokers. 'World Vape Day and World No Tobacco Day are pivotal moments to recognize vaping's role in harm reduction and advancing Health Canada's goal of reducing smoking rates to less than 5% by 2035,' said Sam Tam, President of the Canadian Vaping Association. With 1.9 million adult vapers in Canada, vaping remains one of the most effective harm reduction tools available. However, recent calls for a nationwide flavour ban, based on misrepresented youth vaping data, threatens to reverse this progress. 'Claims that the industry targets youth with appealing flavours are false and irresponsible. Vape flavour marketing to youth is illegal under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act and compliant businesses adhere strictly to these regulations,' Tam emphasized. Evidence from jurisdictions with flavour bans shows such policies fail to reduce youth vaping. Instead, they fuel illicit markets and force former smokers back to combustible cigarettes. Youth Vaping Rates Continue to Decline Statistics Canada data reveals a nearly 50% relative decline in youth vaping since 2019, a trend that contradicts current alarmist narratives. The CVA urges policymakers to focus on enforcement, education, and harm reduction rather than prohibition entirely. Health Canada has indicated the main reasons why youth experiment with vaping is because of peer pressure that stems from school stress, home life and responsibilities, family pressures, social media and desire to fit in and feel accepted by friends. Like underage use of alcohol or cannabis, addressing underage vaping requires targeted strategies, something a flavour ban will not solve. Today, on World Vape Day, the CVA reaffirms its support for Health Canada's Youth Vaping Prevention and Education Initiative , which provides free toolkits and online resources for parents, educators, and community leaders to educate youth on vaping risks. The 'I quit for me' program includes a guide for youth as well as a comprehensive Facilitator's guide for group programs A Balanced Path Forward The CVA advocates for policies that: 'Destroying a proven harm reduction tool is not the solution. Canada must continue its progress through smart regulation, not prohibition,' said Sam Tam. 'We call on all stakeholders—health organizations, public health officials, and even tobacco companies—to unite behind Health Canada's youth prevention resources. By aligning under one evidence-based program, we can further reduce youth vaping nationwide.' For youth vaping prevention resources, visit Health Canada's website: . About the Canadian Vaping Association The Canadian Vaping Association is the national voice for the vaping industry, advocating for sensible regulations that balance adult harm reduction with youth protection and education.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Canadian Vaping Association Highlights Plans to Reduce Youth Vaping Rates on World Vape Day
Ottawa, ON, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On World Vape Day, the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) celebrates the continued decline in youth vaping rates, as reported in Statistics Canada's 2025 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (published March 26, 2025). This progress (achieved without flavour bans) demonstrates the success of balanced policies that prioritize both youth protection and harm reduction for adult smokers. 'World Vape Day and World No Tobacco Day are pivotal moments to recognize vaping's role in harm reduction and advancing Health Canada's goal of reducing smoking rates to less than 5% by 2035,' said Sam Tam, President of the Canadian Vaping Association. With 1.9 million adult vapers in Canada, vaping remains one of the most effective harm reduction tools available. However, recent calls for a nationwide flavour ban, based on misrepresented youth vaping data, threatens to reverse this progress. 'Claims that the industry targets youth with appealing flavours are false and irresponsible. Vape flavour marketing to youth is illegal under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act and compliant businesses adhere strictly to these regulations,' Tam emphasized. Evidence from jurisdictions with flavour bans shows such policies fail to reduce youth vaping. Instead, they fuel illicit markets and force former smokers back to combustible cigarettes. Youth Vaping Rates Continue to Decline Statistics Canada data reveals a nearly 50% relative decline in youth vaping since 2019, a trend that contradicts current alarmist narratives. The CVA urges policymakers to focus on enforcement, education, and harm reduction rather than prohibition entirely. Health Canada has indicated the main reasons why youth experiment with vaping is because of peer pressure that stems from school stress, home life and responsibilities, family pressures, social media and desire to fit in and feel accepted by friends. Like underage use of alcohol or cannabis, addressing underage vaping requires targeted strategies, something a flavour ban will not solve. Today, on World Vape Day, the CVA reaffirms its support for Health Canada's Youth Vaping Prevention and Education Initiative, which provides free toolkits and online resources for parents, educators, and community leaders to educate youth on vaping risks. The 'I quit for me' program includes a guide for youth as well as a comprehensive Facilitator's guide for group programs A Balanced Path Forward The CVA advocates for policies that: - Strengthen enforcement against underage sales and illicit products; - Expand youth-focused education on vaping risks; - Preserve flavoured vaping options for adults seeking harm reduction products. 'Destroying a proven harm reduction tool is not the solution. Canada must continue its progress through smart regulation, not prohibition,' said Sam Tam. 'We call on all stakeholders—health organizations, public health officials, and even tobacco companies—to unite behind Health Canada's youth prevention resources. By aligning under one evidence-based program, we can further reduce youth vaping nationwide.' For youth vaping prevention resources, visit Health Canada's website: About the Canadian Vaping Association The Canadian Vaping Association is the national voice for the vaping industry, advocating for sensible regulations that balance adult harm reduction with youth protection and education. CONTACT: Ashley Bouman The Canadian Vaping Association abouman@
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hawai‘i Tourism Authority could be replaced with new governance
Rep. Adrian Tam (D, Waikiki ), chair of the House Committee on Tourism, warned the Hawai 'i Tourism Authority during a Wednesday board meeting that the coming passage of Senate Bill 1571—which upon Gov. Josh Green's signature will dramatically change HTA's governance model—reflects a loss of confidence so deep that he is already considering a bill to upend the agency next year. Tam told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that SB 1571 represents the biggest governance changes to HTA since it was created, but that it may not be enough to fix all of the agency's shortcomings. Tam said that he is exploring drafting a bill to implement all of the recommendations in a third-party governance study released last July by Better Destinations LLC, founded by Cathy Ritter. The study, which cost nearly $300, 000, recommended that a private, independent, nonprofit Destination Stewardship Organization (referred to as a DSO ) replace the HTA, which was created by the state Legislature more than a quarter of a century ago. The new model, dubbed is described by Better Destinations as a 'community-first regenerative mindset ' that delivers not only a healthy tourism economy but addresses local priorities and improves unique assets through ongoing collaboration.' Mahina Paishon, HTA vice chair and vice chair of HTA's Governance Study Permitted Interaction Group (PIG ), told the Star-Advertiser on Wednesday that PIG has not made its official recommendation on the governance study's findings to HTA 'primarily because we wanted the governance study to help inform and to coincide with the planning efforts this summer for the HTA Strategic Plan, the next round of Destination Management Action Plans, and the Tourism Functional Plan.' If Tam and other lawmakers push the Better Destinations recommendation forward, it likely would put HTA's long-standing and largest contractor, the Hawai 'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, back in the driver's seat—after all the private nonprofit membership organization was founded in 1945 making it many decades older than HTA. In the meantime, HTA is facing more immediate changes from SB 1571, which will take effect upon Gov. Josh Green's signature. The bill :—Downgrades the HTA board to an advisory board.—Amends eligibility requirements to serve on the HTA advisory board.—Removes the director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism from the board.—Requires a member of the board to represent a tourism-impacted entity.—Allows the House speaker and the Senate president to each appoint an HTA advisory board member.—Exempts all positions filled by HTA within DBEDT from the state civil service law.—Allows the HTA advisory board to appoint the HTA president and CEO, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.—Requires the HTA president and CEO to report to the governor.—Allows the HTA advisory board to set the term of the HTA president and CEO in the hiring contract.—Clarifies that the Hawai 'i Convention Center must reflect a 'Hawaii ' sense of place instead of a 'Hawaiian ' sense of place. Tam clarified that the shift in the sense of place 'was meant to be inclusive.' But Paishon told the Star-Advertiser that she is concerned that the change from a 'Hawaiian ' sense of place to a 'Hawaii ' sense of place may leave too much open to interpretation. 'I don't want it to be interpreted as a policy change that means we are supposed to deemphasize Hawaiian culture, ' she said. Tam said lawmakers passed SB 1571 because 'we just wanted to have some oversight over the Hawai 'i Tourism Authority—what we have seen and it has been made clear to other members of the legislature as well as the public that the politics of the board has really seeped into the governance and to the policies of the authority and the authority (has been ) negatively impacted because of it ' Tam said lawmakers were trying to send HTA a strong message with the passage of SB 1571 and 'were hoping that things would start to get better and improve. However, unfortunately to myself and to others, it has progressively gotten worse so I am already trying to really tune into the governance study that was created and look at each recommendation and possibly start to craft a bill.' Tam said he was reluctant initially to use SB 1571 to downgrade HTA into an advisory board ; however, 'due to basically what was negatively put into the press to the audits to the unpaid invoices, interest, allegations of toxic work environment and the list just goes on, the Legislature and I myself felt like this would be a step in the right direction.' In the past several months, HTA has undergone dramatic leadership shake-ups as it has struggled to address allegations of inappropriate freebies at the Hawai 'i Convention Center and inconsistencies in its Hawaii Tourism Conference partnerships. There were also allegations about potential procurement violations and State Sen. Kurt Fevella (R, Ewa Beach ), HTA contractors, former HTA employees and some board members also alleged in a on May 4 that HTA and the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism failed to respond promptly to complaints about a hostile work environment—including alleged racist and sexist comments—that they claim contributed to the recent resignations of five Native Hawaiian members of HTA's leadership team. Isaac Choy, HTA vice president of finance and acting chief administrative officer, was put on unpaid leave May 9 at the direction of the state Department of the Attorney General and the Department of Human Resources amid allegations he made racist and sexist remarks on the job. Since Choy was the project manager for $100 million of repairs at the Hawai 'i Convention Center, his absence could extend the center's planned construction beyond two years, putting the state at in group tourism bookings. While the state Comptroller Keith Regan told the HTA board Wednesday that the Department of Accounting and General Services would take on the project, he advised that the timetable was 'aggressive. ' Tam said the public has started to take notice of HTA's challenges and that members of the Ala Moana Neighborhood Board on Tuesday night told him that 'they were genuinely concerned about the loss of (Hawai 'i Convention Center ) business, the reputation behind that and whether or not those clients would come back.'
STV News
2 days ago
- Health
- STV News
Early detection of pancreatic cancer may have saved my brother, says campaigner
A pancreatic cancer campaigner has said early detection of the disease could have saved her brother's life, as she brought her 200,000-name petition to the Scottish Parliament. Isla Gear's brother Tam Barker died on Boxing Day last year, following months of symptoms which were not identified as being caused by cancer. Mr Barker, a cab driver from Fife, had been to the doctor's surgery six times and A&E three times throughout the year but the cancer was not spotted until November. One of his final wishes was for a campaign to help others in his situation, and his sister decided to take up the cause. On Thursday, she and Tam's son Max, 12, handed over copies of her letter to MSPs at Holyrood. It calls for regular monitoring of those at highest risk of pancreatic cancer and the development of new tests for early detection. Ms Gear, from Leven in Fife, told the PA news agency a simple test in a GP's surgery could have 'given him a longer chance, if not saved his life'. She said: 'From this, we can save someone's life in honour of what Tam wanted. 'Tam thought he would beat the statistic and he was very hopeful… 'He said 'If anything comes from this, the one thing I want is to stop it from happening to other families'. 'I don't know if he knew he was passing then, or if he thought he was going to be here to fight. 'But certainly I'll do the fighting for him.' A petition she set up has secured more than 200,000 signatures and Ms Gear has joined the 'unite, diagnose, save lives' campaign from the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK. The petition is thought to be the largest related to a disease in the UK. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Scottish dad visits GP and A&E with 'stomach pains' and dies four weeks later
A woman who lost her brother to pancreatic cancer four weeks after his diagnosis has called for the Scottish Government to take action on early screening. Sister Isla Gear lost dad Tom Barker on Boxing Day last year, leaving behind his 12-year-old son Max, despite the cab driver visiting the doctor and A&E in pain while his symptoms were overlooked. The disease was never detected until it was too late and the beloved 47-year-old ended up in hospital days after diagnosis, never to return home, the Daily Record reports. READ MORE: Neighbourhood Edinburgh pub to close for refurb as it prepares for 'new chapter' READ MORE: Edinburgh filming for '90s classic movie remake takes over Portobello beach Just hours before Tam's death, he asked Isla from Leven to set up a petition calling for critical investment in early pancreatic cancer detection in Scotland. It received a 200,000 signatures - making history as largest petition in the UK related to the disease. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Isla is now taking the campaign to Holyrood and will hand-deliver an open letter to the Scottish Government today, backed by over 59,000 signatories, hand-in-hand with nephew Max. The 38-year-old said: 'Tam was meant to be here for this. I'm spreading the message because he can't. "For him, his young son, our family and every person who may be affected by this disease in the future." Tam began experiencing stomach pain and constipation symptoms as early as spring 2024. Despite repeated efforts to seek help — and a family history of the disease — his concerns were continually waved off as minor. 'When he went to A&E, they kept saying he had a blockage,' Isla recalled. 'He was given laxatives and sent home. "It wasn't until Tam had an appointment with his usual GP in November that the symptoms were taken seriously. On the 21st of November, Tam went back to A&E on his GPs orders. They ordered a CT scan to check for a blockage." The scan intended to investigate a suspected blockage revealed Tam was suffering from pancreatic cancer. 'He said it felt like being fired from a job,' Isla said. 'They just sent him home, still in pain, with no real answers. It just didn't feel real." After weeks of pain and rapid weight loss of 20kg from September to November, Tam was admitted to hospital again on December 4 with hopes he'd return home soon. Tragically, he was moved to a hospice on December 22 where he passed away the day after Christmas. Every year, around 897 people in Scotland and over 10,700 across the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. No early detection tests currently exist to help doctors diagnose it and, once discovered, 80 per cent of cases are already too advanced for life-saving surgery. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox The open letter, part of the Pancreatic Cancer UK charity's 'Unite. Diagnose. Save Lives.' campaign, demands the Scottish Government take three urgent steps: Roll out regular monitoring for those at high risk of the disease. Back promising early detection tests and integrate them into cancer services. Pressure Westminster to invest at least £35million annually in pancreatic cancer research for the next two decades. Isla and Max have also committed to delivering their message to all four UK parliaments. 'Even if it saves one family, that's enough,' Isla said. 'Cancer doesn't respect borders, and neither should the fight against it. "Tam was selfless. He wanted to help everyone. Now, through this campaign, he still can.'
