A province-wide ban on selling flavoured tobacco products is set to come into effect Monday, but it's unclear whether that ban will include menthol cigarettes.
A province-wide ban on selling flavoured tobacco products is set to come into effect Monday, but it's unclear whether that ban will include menthol cigarettes.
The legislation implementing the ban was approved by the previous government, which opted to continue allowing menthol cigarette sales over objection of the then-opposition New Democrat Party.
Premier Rachel Notley said earlier this week decisions about how her NDP government will implement changes on which they campaigned would be made “in the coming days.”
Among the topics she spoke to reporters about at press conferences during the first cabinet meeting last Wednesday and Thursday are the tobacco ban and a potential return to a board governance model for Alberta Health Services.
Notley told reporters her cabinet, which includes former Edmonton Public School Board Chair Sarah Hoffman as the newly minted health minister, is still being briefed on a slew of important issues facing the province.
“Rushed decisions can be bad decisions,” she said.
St. Albert residents have some extra motivation this week to get around using more active methods as a provincial non-profit group celebrates “Wheels Week.”
Safe Healthy Active People Everywhere (SHAPE) is encouraging Alberta to “Get Wheelin'” from May 31 to June 6, using non-motorized wheeled transportation to get to and from school, work or other recreational activities.
Increasing physical activity by using more active transportation methods can have significant positive impacts on overall health and wellness, and people can see benefits with as little as a half hour of physical activity per day.
For more information or to register your family, school or organization, visit www.shapeab.com.
Alberta Health Services is reminding Albertans that with the increased water activity that takes place as the mercury rises, comes an increased risk of drowning hazards.
The provincial health-services provider offers several tips to help prevent tragedy including: pool owners should be certified in CPR, never let children swim without an adult present, and always have children wear life jackets when swimming or boating.
Drowning is an unfortunately common cause of preventable death in Canada. According to the Lifesaving Society of Canada, there were 344 drowning deaths in 2012, with 29 of those taking place in Alberta. Roughly half the incidents take place at a lake.
The St. Albert and Sturgeon Primary Care Network is offering support classes for those facing the loss of their driver's licences.
Lori Jack, a seniors' nurse with the network, said losing one's licence can be one of the most difficult experiences for a person as they age because it can mean a significant loss of independence.
The free eight-week course, which begins June 5, will help participants learn ways to cope with losing their licences and discuss other ways of staying mobile.
For more information contact the PCN at 780-418-6724.
