Latest news with #youthHealth
CBC
5 days ago
- Health
- CBC
No social media for Quebec teens under 14 without parental consent, committee recommends
The recommendation was in the final report of an all-party government committee studying the impact of screen time on young people's health.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health Groups call on Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel to ban vape flavours within her first 100 days.
OTTAWA, ON, May 26, 2025 /CNW/ - Deeply concerned with the impact of the previous government's permissive approach to nicotine vaping products, tobacco control organizations are calling on the new government to quickly align controls on this market with those used for tobacco. As part of these important reforms, they are asking for regulations to ban flavours in vaping products to be finalized within the Health Minister's first 100 days in office. Restricting flavours in vaping products was a commitment made by the Liberal Party in the recent federal election. "Minister Michel has inherited the youth vaping crisis, and her intervention is urgently needed to clean up the mess her predecessors left behind," said Les Hagen, Executive Director of Action on Smoking & Health. "This will require her to stand up to the tobacco industry and its front groups, and to protect youth from their attempts to undermine health policies." "The youth vaping crisis has gone on far too long," he added. "The past government's decision to liberalize the sale of vaping products has negatively impacted one-half of Canadian youth without producing any measurable benefit in overall smoking cessation among adults." Vaping products became legal for sale and promotion in Canada in May 2018, and were exempted from the marketing restrictions that have been proven to help protect young people from starting to use tobacco products. These measures include large graphic health warnings, plain and standardized products and packaging, bans on flavourings and sweeteners, and controls on accessibility including a ban on interprovincial sales. "Over the past seven years, parents, teachers and health professionals have struggled to protect kids from the predatory commercial activities which followed," said Flory Doucas, co-director of the Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control. "They have waited for meaningful federal government action while hundreds of thousands of children were being recruited to nicotine addiction by an industry sugar-coating a harmful drug with exotic flavours and playful devices." Health Canada's 2023 Canadian Substance Use Survey found that over one million Canadian teenagers aged 15-19 (48%) had tried vaping products, 681,000 (31%) had used them in the past month and that 400,600 (17%) were vaping on a daily basis. "We cannot afford for this government to sit on its hands or take the same laissez-faire approach to the tobacco and nicotine industry as its predecessor," said Cynthia Callard, Executive Director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada. "The need for stronger regulations has been recognized by government for years, as the cost of its inaction continues to climb." Health Canada proposed several measures to address the youth vaping crisis in the spring of 2019. Only one of these measures has been approved (limiting nicotine concentration), despite ongoing appeals by health organizations and federal and provincial Medical Officers of Health. Four years after draft regulations to restrict flavourings were published, they have still not been finalized despite Ministerial promises to do so. "The legalization of vaping products has not produced a net public health benefit in Canada," said Ms. Callard. "Since 2018 there has been no increase in quit attempts or in successful quitting among smokers, and the number of former smokers has actually dropped. Smoking rates are going down at a slower rate than in years prior to the legalization of nicotine vaping products." Opening the vaping market allowed corporate interests to halt the reduction in nicotine addiction. The widespread use of nicotine products among young people means there are as many or more nicotine users in Canada as there were before these products were legalized. Only a minority of Canadian vapers (28%) are former smokers. "The previous government's preference for a poorly regulated vaping market has facilitated the tobacco industry pivoting to other harmful products and launching a new epidemic of nicotine addiction," said Mr. Hagen. Health Canada's Canadian Substance Use Survey found that one in every three young Canadians who had tried vaping even once were using these products on a daily basis. Independent studies of nicotine use among youth report that young vapers find themselves more addicted than do young cigarette smokers. Many studies report that youth who use vaping products are much more likely to start using tobacco products. In addition to being highly addictive, vaping products present significant risks for cardiovascular disease, lung injury and exposure to toxins, especially given some of the additives used to flavour liquids. "We are not calling for a ban on vaping products," said Flory Doucas. "We are calling for the use of proven regulatory controls to prevent industry from enticing young people to experiment with and become addicted to nicotine." "At the current rate of initiation, the nicotine industry is set to recruit more than 15,000 school-aged children to vaping during Minister Michel's first 100 days in office. She is the Canadian with the greatest power and responsibility to bring that number down before the start of the school year this September." See this backgrounder presenting the latest data on youth vaping See this compilation of vaping products and promotions SOURCE Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control View original content: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
19-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
STRENGTH STARTS HERE: PLANET FITNESS' ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER PASS™ PROGRAM RETURNS THIS JUNE
Teens can pre-register starting today and work out for free from June 1 – August 31 at 2,700+ clubs nationwide and get stronger together HAMPTON, N.H., May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Planet Fitness, one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers with more members than any other fitness brand, announces the return of its annual High School Summer Pass™ program. Celebrating its fifth year, the initiative invites high school teens ages 14 – 19¹ to go all in on the gym this summer to fuel their passions by working out for free at any of its 2,700+ Planet Fitness locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Teens can visit to register for the program with club access beginning Sunday, June 1 through Sunday, August 31. Find the club nearest you here. Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: Since launching the program in 2019, Planet Fitness has invested more than $300M in waived membership dues to promote youth health and wellness, and improve the physical and mental health of millions of teens.2 Planet Fitness' High School Summer Pass program has helped millions of teens establish healthy fitness habits during the summer months, a critical time when many young people lack access to organized physical activities. To better understand what today's teens are experiencing—and how to support them—Planet Fitness conducted a nationwide study,3 revealing the following key insights: 'At Planet Fitness, we offer a high value experience to both our members and High School Summer Pass participants in a welcoming, Judgement Free environment where everyone can get a great workout,' said Colleen Keating, Chief Executive Officer. 'With free access to our clubs throughout the summer, we're providing teens with the tools they need to develop healthy fitness habits that can last a lifetime. We look forward to welcoming teens this summer to experience the mental and physical health benefits of exercise in the Judgement Free Zone®.' To promote the 2025 High School Summer Pass program, Planet Fitness has teamed up with U.S. gymnast and 2-Time Olympic Medalist Stephen Nedoroscik who knows not only of the importance of a fitness routine, but the positive impact both physically and mentally that exercise has on overall wellness from a young age. 'Fitness and training have always been a huge part of my life - not just for competing, but for who I am as a person,' said Stephen Nedoroscik, U.S. gymnast and 2-Time Olympic Medalist. 'Staying at the top of my game, especially on the pommel horse, takes a ton of focus, discipline, and consistency. I've been lucky to train in places and with people that make me feel supported - and that positive environment makes all the difference. That's why I am excited to team up with Planet Fitness this summer to support their annual High School Summer Pass program. Giving teens free access to a place to move, feel confident, and chase their goals is powerful. It's a chance for young people to discover their strength, inside and out.' All High School Summer Pass participants will have access to: For more information on High School Summer Pass, including how to sign up for the free summer membership at any of the more than 2,700 Planet Fitness locations in the U.S. and Canada, visit About Planet Fitness Founded in 1992 in Dover, NH, Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the world by number of members and locations. As of March 31, 2025, Planet Fitness had approximately 20.6 million members and 2,741 clubs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, Mexico, Australia and Spain. The Company's mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone®. More than 90% of Planet Fitness clubs are owned and operated by independent business men and women. View original content: SOURCE Planet Fitness, Inc.
Malay Mail
13-05-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
Health Ministry forms special committee to tackle vape abuse among students after viral ‘surau' video
PUTRAJAYA, May 13 —The Ministry of Health (MOH) has set up a special committee to address the misuse of electronic cigarettes or vape, particularly among school students, said Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. He said the committee was formed following several viral incidents on social media involving student vape use, as well as cases that led to the deaths of vape users. 'This committee will meet soon and subsequently present its views and recommendations to me,' he told a press conference after attending the 2025 National Midwives and Nurses Day celebration here today. He added that the ministry's Public Health Division (BKA) is currently reviewing the effectiveness of existing enforcement and legislation related to vape misuse. 'The findings and discussions will be presented to the committee, which is chaired by deputy director-general (Public Health) Dr Ismuni Bohari, together with public health consultant Prof Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman,' he said. Dr Dzulkefly said the implementation of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852) was also a key reason behind the formation of the committee to curb vape usage. 'We are currently assessing the impact of existing regulations and conducting surveillance of vape-related cases,' he said. Recently, a 10-second video went viral on social media, showing a group of school students using vape devices in a surau. Another viral video featured an individual claiming to have suffered health complications due to vape addiction before he died last Wednesday. — Bernama
