Petition to End the Tobacco Industry in Canada

To the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, the Honourable Michael Ignatieff, the Honourable Jack Layton, and the Honourable Gilles Duceppe, members of the Parliament of Canada,

Whereas smoking is the worst public health problem in Canada causing 45,000 people a year to die prematurely as well as causing huge public health costs, lost productivity, and personal tragedy,

Whereas tobacco which is addictive and kills or sickens many of its users would not be approved for sale if not for the successful lobbying by its producers,

Whereas the tobacco industry sells many billions of cigarettes each year in Canada and needs a large industrial growing, processing, and distribution system,

We, the undersigned, request you if re-elected to propose, support, pass, and implement legislation to:

Ban the sale of tobacco products for smoking purposes
Ban the commercial growing of tobacco for smoking purposes
Ban the commercial manufacture of smoking materials
Ban the commercial import and export of smoking materials
Expropriate without compensation any premises, machinery,
or vehicles used in the production or distribution of tobacco for
smoking purposes
Not compensate tobacco producers and distributors for losses due to
this legislation.