Pubdate: Mon, 05 Oct 2015
Source: Hamilton Spectator (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 The Hamilton Spectator
Contact:  http://www.thespec.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/181
Author: Ben Spurr
Page: A10

HARPER'S ASSERTION POT IS WORSE THAN TOBACCO 'MISLEADING': EXPERT

A University of Waterloo researcher is slamming Stephen Harper's 
assertion that marijuana is "infinitely worse" than tobacco, saying 
the remark has no basis in scientific fact.

The Conservative leader made the comment the morning after the final 
debate of the election campaign Friday night, during which he 
criticized Justin Trudeau's proposal to legalize the drug.

Asked by a reporter on Saturday why he so strongly objected to the 
Liberal leader's plan, Harper said there is "overwhelming and 
growing" evidence of "the bad long-term effects" of marijuana use. 
Noting that authorities have spent decades trying to discourage 
Canadians from using tobacco, he said "marijuana is infinitely worse, 
and is something we do not want to encourage."

But according to Dr. David Hammond, while there are significant 
health risks associated with marijuana - especially when smoked by 
young people or pregnant women - there is "no comparison" between the 
dangers it poses and the harm caused by tobacco.

Hammond, who is the applied public health chair at the University of 
Waterloo, said that between 30,000 and 40,000 Canadians die every 
year from tobacco-related causes like cancer and heart disease, while 
deaths attributed to marijuana are "extremely rare."

He called Harper's assertion that marijuana is worse than cigarettes 
"misleading."

Dr. Robert Schwartz said each year tobacco kills more people in 
Canada than alcohol, motor vehicles, firearms, illegal drug use, and 
HIV put together.

"Tobacco has much more damage to physical health," said Schwartz, who 
is the executive director of the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit at 
Dalla Lana School of Public Health. He said Harper's statement was 
concerning. "I'm hoping that others in the political arena will use 
the scientific evidence to call him on it."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom