Media Releases

OPHA regularly issues media releases that:

  • articulate our position on specific issues;
  • respond to policy announcements; and
  • inform the public on developments, and challenges affecting the public health system.

Below is a listing of recent media releases, as well as an archive of releases as a reference on issues for which OPHA advocates.


2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004

2011

  • January 19 - Find a Reason to Quit [PDF] - For National Non-Smoking Week 2011, the theme “there are hundreds of reasons to quit… what’s yours?” supports public health concerns about tobacco products being the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Ontario. For this reason, OPHA supports the Ontario Tobacco Strategy (OTS) to prevent the use of tobacco, especially by young people, and to protect Ontarians from second-hand smoke.

2010

  • November 1 - Major health and environment organizations call on government to eliminate public exposure to BPA [PDF] - Thirteen of Canada’s leading health and environmental organizations released a joint statement today calling on the federal government to eliminate key sources of public exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), citing links between even low exposures to the chemical and major chronic diseases. The signatory organizations acknowledge that Canada’s designation of BPA as toxic under federal law is a good first step and are calling for immediate action. In five recommendations, their statement calls for an end to all food- and beverage-related uses of BPA as well as legislative reforms to improve the testing and regulation of endocrine-disrupting substances and to require disclosure of known endocrine disruptors on product labels.(en Français [PDF])
  • October 20 - OPHA Supports a Renewed Ontario Government Commitment to Tobacco Control [PDF] - It is time to shift our focus in tobacco control from encouraging non-smokers to resist temptation to smoke to halting the sale and distribution of tobacco products. Today, the Tobacco Strategy Advisory Group (TSAG) released its comprehensive set of recommendations to the Ontario government in a report, Building on Our Gains, Taking Action Now: Ontario’s Tobacco Control Strategy for 2011 – 2016. The comprehensive Tobacco Control Strategy includes a number of recommendations which were informed by leading researchers in tobacco control. It builds on the Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy, calls for measures to reduce both the supply and demand for all tobacco products, and takes a “whole of government” approach.
  • September 27 - Public Health Forum brings together public health and planners to build ideas for healthier communities in Ontario [PDF] - The OPHA Fall Forum will provide an opportunity for public health professionals and other professionals working on the built environment to shape and advance policies in order to create healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable communities. It will feature speakers such as Minister Margarett Best from the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport, Minister Glen Murray from the Ministry of Research and Innovation, and Dr. Vivek Goel, President and CEO of Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion.
  • February 26 - National, international experts gather to discuss Ontario alcohol policy and alcohol-related harms [PDF] - As the question of how best to deal with privatization of alcohol sales and drinking and driving continue to be debated in Ontario, the Ontario Public Health Association and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) are pleased to present the seventh annual forum, aptly entitled Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity. Public health professionals, addiction counselors and policy makers will gather from across the province to discuss Ontario’s alcohol policy and the actions that need to be taken based on current research, policy, and practical applications that address alcohol-related harm. For more details, please visit the Alcohol Policy Network website.
  • January 15 - Provincial Nutrition Society agrees new School Food and Beverage Policy is a positive step [PDF] - OPHA and OSNPPH applaud the release of the School Food and Beverage Policy by the Ministry of Education. The new policy will provide direction for schools when deciding which foods and beverages can be sold to students. To further benefit the nutritional and overall health of Ontario's children and youth, OSNPPH also supports a whole school approach.

 

2009

 

2008

 

2007

 

2006

 

2005

 

2004