425 University Avenue, Suite 502 Toronto ON M5G 1T6 Tel: (416) 595-0006 Fax: (416) 595-0030 E-mail: [email protected] Providing leadership in public health management January 21, 2009 The Honourable Margarett Best Ontario Minister of Health Promotion 777 Bay Street, 18th Floor Toronto, Ontario M7A 1S5 Dear Minister Best: Re: Leading the Fight Against Contraband Tobacco in Ontario I was delighted to attend this morning’s media event marking the proclamation of legislation to protect children from exposure to second hand smoke in motor vehicles. Please accept my heartiest congratulations on the successful passage of this important legislation. It is indeed an important step towards the evolution of a smoke-ree Ontario and a significant accomplishment of which the Ministry of Health Promotion should be justly proud. In our estimation, the next frontier in the battle for a smoke-free Ontario is the increased production, sale and use of contraband tobacco. It threatens the progress Smoke Free Ontario is making particularly among our youth. Your ministry has achieved considerable momentum in this regard and we believe this opens a significant opportunity for you to take the lead in encouraging those ministries more directly responsible for containing contraband tobacco to intensify their efforts and protect the gains that you have made. alPHa recognizes that contraband tobacco is not exclusively a Ministry of Health Promotion issue. However, we are confident that your ministry’s stake in the issue combined with the marked progress you have made in protecting vulnerable populations against the harms of tobacco will provide the catalyst required to galvanize activities in other ministries on this issue. We are prepared to offer you our enthusiastic support and any other assistance required toward this end. Public health in Ontario is proud of the strong contribution it has made to making Ontario smoke free. We look forward to continuing our collaboration in these efforts. Sincerely, Linda Stewart Executive Director Page 1 of 2 cc: Hon Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario Hon David Caplan, Minister of Health and Long Term Care Dr. David Williams, Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health Allison Stuart, Acting Deputy Minister, Public Health Hon. Brad Duguid, Minister Aboriginal Affairs Hon. Christopher Bentley, Attorney General Hon Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance Michael Perley, Director, Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco Page 2 of 2 .