The Canadian Cancer Society proclaimed last week "National Non-Smoking Week," and CBC radio covered the topic on its program, "The Current."
The program's website stated: "The Canadian Cancer Society is one of the voices you'll be hearing from this week. The organization has just published an updated version of its "How-To" guide to quitting smoking ... a book called One Step At A Time.
Among other things, the new version contains information about smoking-cessation devices ... nicotine patches and chewing gum meant to help deal with nicotine withdrawal. Ordinarily, that wouldn't be cause for concern. But some health policy specialists are suspicious about the fact that some of the money behind the revised guide came from the pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer ... a company that has made many of the products the Canadian Cancer Society's guide promotes. ...
Nicotine replacement products are a booming business. For about fifteen years now, repentant smokers have been able to buy over-the-counter products like nicotine-laced gum and skin-patches. And the makers of those products have boldly promoted their virtues in commercials featuring a flight attendant on the edge.
Commercials such as these can give you the impression that it's just about impossible to quit smoking without medication."
Drug company funding of "disease awareness" or patient education campaigns can be problematic. On this radio program, University of Victoria drug policy researcher Alan Cassels (whose Media Doctor website operates much like our HealthNewsReview.org website) explained where the problems may lie.
You can download and listen to the entire program, using Real Player.
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