Tobacco-free Ottawa U petition to the University of Ottawa Administration & the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa

Dear U of O Administration (President Gilles Patry and Vice-presidents Robert Major, Howard Alper, Victor Simon, David Mitchell) and the SFUO:

We are a group of students, student groups, staff and faculty at the University of Ottawa. We are writing to you as fellow members of the University of Ottawa community to express our concern regarding our student federation's affiliation with the tobacco industry and we are appealing to your leadership to help us put an end to this troubling situation.

Research demonstrates that tobacco industry executives target young adults in college and university institutions because it is a critical period when the transition from experimental to established smoking occurs. Tobacco, when smoked, kills half of its long-term users, which is why it is critical to try to prevent that transition to established smoking. In addition, this age group represents the youngest legal target from tobacco marketing campaigns and post-secondary students that smoke can serve as role models for adolescents. Banning the sale of tobacco on campus would help make the University of Ottawa a more healthy, responsible and progressive educational institution.

Point of purchase retail displays are the most widespread and salient form of tobacco marketing on campus. Each year tobacco companies spend $88 million on counter top and shelf displays across Canada. They do so for a very good reason: they work. Retail displays have a significant impact on consumer behaviour and have been linked with smoking initiation among youth. As a result, retail displays of tobacco products are currently illegal in two provinces (Saskatchewan and Manitoba) and will be banned in several more provinces in the near future (both Quйbec and Ontario are banning these displays as of May 31, 2008).

The SFUO is concerned about the lost revenue associated with tobacco sales being banned on campus. However, this revenue should not be earned at the expense of student health. Furthermore, there are several examples of university and college campuses that have been proactive, introducing policies banning retail displays on campus, including the University of Toronto, University of Guelph, McMaster University, Trent University, Lakehead University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Grant MacEwan College (Edmonton, AB), University College of the Cariboo (Kamloops, BC), University of Lethbridge (AB), University of Calgary, University of Manitoba. These campuses were able to find other sources of revenue. We are confident that the SFUO will be able to, too.




It should also be noted that there is strong support from university students for the removal of such displays (over half of university students in a recent survey indicated that they would support their removal, while fewer than 14\% oppose removal of cigarette displays from campus stores).


We do find it troubling that up until this point, the SFUO has been being paid by tobacco companies to advertise and sell their deadly products. On average, retailers at convenience stores across Canada are paid about $1,000 to sell tobacco industry products as prominently as they do at the point-of-purchase. SFUO president Andrй Brazeau and
vice-president finance Amy Morris have told us that the tobacco companies are paying the SFUO $10,000 annually to display their products as prominently as they do in the Pivik convenience store. This is a strong indication of how important tobacco companies consider university students to be to their continued financial success. The SFUO has indicated that they sell $250,000 (gross) worth of tobacco products on campus every school year. Those sales are made at the expense of thousands of students' health.


A student association that continues to promote and profit from a life-destroying habit fundamentally acts against its members interests. The SFUO is currently operating in a short-term, profit-driven way. We ask that the University of Ottawa to step-in to teach superior business ethics to those being demonstrated.


With the greatest of respect and concern for students in mind, we, the undersigned, ask the SFUO and the Administration to make every possible provision for the exclusion of tobacco being sold on campus at the University of Ottawa.


Many universities in Canada are changing their tobacco policies to protect their students and staff. We are urging you to show the same leadership by making a firm commitment to promptly ban the sale of tobacco on campus. Tobacco control is an issue that is very important to the students, staff and faculty at the University of Ottawa. Together, we have the opportunity to make a difference, to make the University of Ottawa an example for other universities as an institution that does not sell deadly tobacco products on campus.


We look forward to your response to this urgent request.


Refereces: Tobacco on campus: Tobacco control policies among universities and colleges in Canada, Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, Aug. 2004. http://smoke-free.ca/eng_home/news_press_Aug26-2004.htm

Letter written by: Tobacco-free Ottawa U