2018
Vignettes from a pre-immunization Canada as childhood vaccination rates plummet
September 26, 2018
As fireworks exploded over celebrating citizens in 1867 Canada, it’s almost a guarantee that many of them would soon be dead of tuberculosis. According to the Canadian Public Health Association, the disease was then the leading cause of death in the new country.
Concerns loom over the effects of vaping on kids: study
September 18, 2018
“We need to differentiate between the two types of vaping devices: some contain nicotine and some don’t,” says Ian Culbert, executive director of the Canadian Public Health Association. “If you’re talking about a product that contains nicotine, which is one of the hardest addictions to break, you obviously don’t want a child consuming it.”Spike in cannabis overdoses blamed on potent edibles, poor public education
August 28, 2018
"I would have liked to have seen public health messaging starting as soon as the bill passed, if not sooner than that," said Ian Culbert of the Canadian Public Health Association. "We've known that this was coming — at the federal level the Liberals have a majority, we knew that it was going to pass," Culbert said. "That [public health] information should have started immediately."Cannabis Edibles and Cannabis Poisoning - Interview with Ian Culbert, Executive Director, CPHA
August 28, 2018
Public health experts fret over big alcohol's cannabis push
August 24, 2018
"Absolutely we're concerned when corporate interests and the profit sector get overly interested in any product that can have negative consequences for the consuming public," said Ian Culbert, executive director of the Canadian Public Health Association. "It's concerning because the motivation is for profit, not preserving peoples' health… These companies have extensive experience marketing these products, not always in the most ethical manner, and they have very deep pockets from their alcohol divisions to be able to pour into campaigns and marketing efforts to promote their specific…Canadian universities ‘flying blind’ into cannabis legalization
August 23, 2018
Canadian Public Health Association executive director Ian Culbert said whether post-secondary institutions allow students to smoke pot on campus or not, it’s important that they be proactive in promoting health and safety. While many students already have experiences with pot, he is worried about “novice users” who are prone to experimenting in excess before they learn their limits. “That experimentation is a natural part of growing up. So, university administrations and student associations really need to be taking a very proactive approach at getting education materials out to all of the…Social cost is too high to pay for ‘buck a beer’
August 8, 2018
The Canadian Public Health Association reports that alcohol costs the Canadian economy $7 billion in lost productivity, $3 billion in health and social services costs, and $3 billion for policing.Building health: Our communities' designs strongly influence our physical well-being
August 4, 2018
Furthermore, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment has started a campaign to encourage governments to adopt a national active transportation strategy, which was one of the main recommendations in a reported released by the Canadian Public Health Association-Lancet Countdown Briefing for Canadian Policymakers.The 'nightmare' Canada's regulators face when edible pot becomes legal
August 3, 2018
Ian Culbert, executive director at the Canadian Public Health Association, said the lack of research on the health impacts of different edibles is one of the greatest regulatory challenges. “As opposed to alcohol, we have insufficient quality data around dosage of cannabis-infused [edible] products. How to define a serving size for the range of potential products will be a challenge,” Culbert said. “There is significant pressure on regulators from the industry players who are staking millions of dollars on this new industry.”What would it look like if Canada decriminalized all the drugs?
August 2, 2018
Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver have now united in their call for Ottawa to decriminalize all hard drugs. They join a growing chorus of activists and health agencies, including the Canadian Public Health Association.