1Regional Councillor Report

Submitted by: Colleen Jordan, Regional Councillor Wards 3 & 4

Date: Nov. 9, 2009

Regional Council – Nov. 4, 2009

Public Health

H1N1

Dr. Kyle, Medical Officer of Health for Durham Region responded to a number of questions regarding the H1N1 flu and vaccination program. In response to questions regarding site selection for clinics and the fact that there is not a clinic being held in Ajax, Dr. Kyle responded that sites were chosen due to a number of factors including size, parking availability and available nursing staff to provide immunizations. Dr. Kyle also advised that the Works Department, Durham Region had recommended suitable sites and he was not aware if they had made contact with municipalities as to whether municipal facilities would be suitable. In response to questions regarding distribution of vaccine to physicians, Dr. Kyle advised that only about 20% of physicians had requested the vaccine for their patients. This appears to be a lower rate than take up of the regular seasonal flu vaccine in previous years. The reporting requirements and workload issues as well as exposing well people to ill people in doctor’s offices may be factors that have been barriers to physicians in providing opportunities for immunization to their patients. At this point in time, vaccine shortages is a cause for concern and will impact clinics as well as fulfilling all orders as requested from physicians who have requested vaccine. Four thousand doses of nonadjuvanted vaccine has arrived to be available for pregnant women under twenty weeks of pregnancy gestation. This vaccine will be rolled out and made available for pregnant women. Currently, women over twenty weeks of pregnancy are listed in the high risk category and have been recommended to receive the adjuvanted version of the vaccine. More and the most up to date information may be found at www.region.durham.on.ca and www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ccom/flu/ sites.

Commercial Advertising Ban Targeted to Children Under Thirteen Years Of Age

The following motion has been placed on the Regional Council agenda and will be brought forward by me at the Regional Council meeting on Nov. 25, 2009. Ajax Council unanimously supported a motion in April 2008 whereby we advocated for a ban on commercial advertising of food and beverages to children under 13 years. In June 2008, Durham Regional Council, who act as the Durham Board of Health did not support this motion.

In 2008, The Association of Local Public Health Agencies (www.alphaweb.org) endorsed a ban on all commercial advertising of food and beverages to children less than 13 years of age and in June 2009 Alpha endorsed the broader goal of the Ontario Public Health Association’s (www.opha.ca) call for the ban on all commercial advertising targeted to children under 13.

It may be of note that another Health report stated that half of Durham Region adults and one quarter of area youth are overweight or obese.

I would request that the following motion be endorsed by Ajax Council and that residents be informed via the town’s communication vehicles as to where they may find further information and provide their opinions to Durham Region Council.

WHEREAS children today are exposed to a greater intensity and frequency of marketing than any previous generation;

WHEREAS there is strong evidence that younger children lack the cognitive abilities to understand marketing messages;

WHEREAS Canadian children influence $20 billion in annual household purchases, making them a lucrative target for marketers;

WHEREAS there is strong evidence that food advertising has a direct influence on what children choose to eat and indirectly exerts pressure on parents to choose those things;

WHEREAS the dominant focus of commercial advertising targeted to children is for products that undermine parents’ and public health professionals’ efforts to promote healthy diets and physical activity;

WHEREAS recent industry initiatives promising to change advertising to children have proven to be ineffective;

WHEREAS the Quebec ban on commercial advertising targeted to children provides a wealth of experience in implementing a national framework;

WHEREAS the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 1989 that the Quebec ad ban is a reasonable limit on the right to free speech and that “...advertising directed at young children is per se manipulative”;

WHEREAS almost 90% of television watched by Canadian children is on Canadian-based stations which would be subject to Canadian laws;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED that the Region of Durham support the Ontario Public Health Association, Association of Local Public Health Agencies, the Toronto Board of Health, and the Board of Health for the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health Units as well as the Centre for Science in the Public Interest and the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario call for a ban on all commercial advertising targeted to children under 13 years of age by the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada or both.