Endorsements
Jan 6th, 2010 by admin
If you would like to add your NAME (individual and/or organization), CITY AND COUNTRY (with or without comments), please send an e-mail to Errol here. You can just send your basic info (name, city and country) or, if you prefer, we’ll post a message from you as well (words of encouragement, personal experiences regarding tobacco/smoking, comments on any aspect of tobacco control [No Smoking bylaws, etc.], etc.). Also, please provide contact info (e-mail address and/or phone number)… and please indicate whether you want your contact info included with your post or not. Thank you very much. Errol
Airspace Action on Smoking and Health – Canada’s leading all-volunteer anti-tobacco organization — is extremely proud to recognize the following diverse group of individuals and organizations for their endorsement of the…
JOURNEY for a TOBACCO-FREE WORLD
- Al Harlow
- Stan Shatenstein
- People Against Drug Dependence and Ignorance
- Physicians for a Smoke-free Canada
- Youth Assisting Youth International
- Hom L. Shrestha
- Surjya Kumari Amatya
- Brock Tully
- B.C. Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union
- Patrick Reynolds
- Non-Smokers’ Rights Association
- Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance
- Southeastern Alberta Tobacco Reduction Coalition
- Rep. Henry A. Waxman
- Dr. Robert Machang’u
– AL HARLOW (lead singer) and PRISM, one of the best rock bands to ever come out of Vancouver. Errol gratefully acknowledges – and would like to say a huge, “Thank you!” to — Al and the boys for allowing him to use one of Prism’s biggest hits, ‘Armageddon’, as a ‘theme song’ for the run. www.prism.ca December, 2009
– STAN SHATENSTEIN, Contributing Editor, Tobacco Control Coordinator, GLOBALink NIMI News and Information Monitoring Initiative, Montreal, Quebec. Beyond his vast knowledge of the topic, Stan is one of the most eloquent and powerful writers in the tobacco control field today…and will be a great running mate along the way. Stan Shatenstein shatenstein AT globalink.org December, 2009
– People Against Drug Dependence and Ignorance(PADDI), Nigeria, Africa. Executive Director Eze Eluchie, Esq says, “I proudly accept the honor of being listed as an ‘endorser’ for your Journey for a Tobacco-Free World (JTFW) and will be exploring possibilities, in conjunction with our organization PADDI and other likeminded organizations, of internationalizing domesticating or commemorating your ‘journey’ over here.” paddi.globalink.org January, 2010
– Physicians for a Smoke-free Canada (PSC) is an awesome national (Ottawa-based) health organization, founded in 1985 as a registered charity. PSC is a unique organization of Canadian physicians from across the country who share one goal: The reduction of tobacco-caused illness through reduced smoking and reduced exposure to second-hand smoke. www.smoke-free.ca December, 2009
– Youth Assisting Youth International, an African NGO based in Ghana that is into youth development. “I would be very glad to join you in your campaign against tobacco. The youth of today I believe when educated well on the dangers associated with tobacco would go a long way. The mission is to motivate youth to stay tobacco free and to empower smokers to quit successfully. Our efforts, combined with those of many other groups fighting tobacco, will help reduce the prevalence of the major diseases caused by smoking: Lung cancer, heart disease and emphysema. Your journey will make a real difference in the fight against tobacco, and help reduce future suffering among families with loved ones afflicted by smoking-caused disease.” Mr. Abodakpi Kwesi Christian, CEO. chriselorm AT yahoo.com January, 2010
– Hom L. Shrestha, Non-Smokers’ Rights Association of Nepal, Kathmandu: On behalf from Nepal, we fully support Airspace’s call for the total eradication of the tobacco industry from the face of the planet. And, of course it is right time to declare third world Tobacco War against tobacco industries in the globe and save earth from global climate change and environmental degradation and environmental tobacco smoke pollution. We would provide highest level of assurances to combat against giant multinational tobacco industries and take part of any role in this endeavor. nsra.nepal AT gmail.com
Nepal’s first woman anti-smoking leader and pioneer women right activist, 87 years old President of NOSMORAN Mrs. Surjya Kumari Amatya says “I proudly accept the honor of being an ‘Endorser’ on your marvelous journey for a Tobacco-Free World and offered my blessing for successful journey as an ‘immense sources of inspiration for all’ towards tobacco-free culture, tobacco-free life style and tobacco-free generation around the globe. I am confident that your dream and mission of ‘tobacco-free world and healthier world’ for new generation would be accomplished under your dynamic leadership.”
– Brock Tully, Co-Founder of the Kindness Foundation of Canada, author of ‘Reflections’ book series, and producer of the “World Kindness Concert” and “One of a KIND Stories”: “Your commitment to a healthier world, in words and especially in action, touches my heart. It takes a lot of courage to do what we feel is best for the ‘higher good of all’ even though we know that we don’t live perfectly ourselves. If we all waited until we were living perfectly before we spoke out and took action, none of us would ever do anything to raise consciousness and awareness for a healthier world. THANK YOU for taking the time to care about others more than we seem to care about ourselves!” www.brocktully.com Brock has bicycled over 42,000 Km on three epic trips around North America to raise awareness for a kinder world.
– The Executive of the B.C. Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union, representing more than 4,000 members, proudly endorses The JOURNEY for a TOBACCO-FREE WORLD.
– “On behalf of The Foundation For A Smokefree America, I am proud to endorse the JOURNEY for a TOBACCO-FREE WORLD. Along the way, on those long and lonely stretches of highway, Errol may, occasionally, wonder if it’s really all worth it; he and I both KNOW it is! The battle to reduce/eliminate the #1 cause of most-cheaply-and-easily-preventable disease, disability and premature death is, indeed, a noble one. I know, because I watched my father, my oldest brother and an aunt die because of smoking…and that made me sufficiently angry that I turned my back on the business that made my family extremely rich: Tobacco. That’s right, my father was the son of the original R.J. Reynolds which tragically, to this day, remains one of the biggest tobacco companies in the world; makers of Camel, KOOL, Lucky Strike and Winston, to name just a few of the more popular/deadly RJR brands. In closing, we wish Errol all the very best…and not too many blisters!” – Patrick Reynolds, The Foundation For A Smokefree America, www.anti-smoking.org
In addition, here are some nice words of encouragement from the world-renowned Non-Smokers’ Rights Association in Toronto:
Dear Errol:
Re: Your run to increase attention to the tobacco epidemic
Thank you for informing us about your planned cross country run in support of tobacco control. Your leadership is appreciated.
While we are unable to sponsor your project, we are with you in spirit. After all, it is estimated that tobacco industry products have caused or contributed to one million preventable tobacco deaths in Canada since the 1950s when the tobacco industry’s internal documents show that it knew both that tobacco is addictive and that it kills. Yet, the industry, contrary to its legal obligations, lied about addiction, lied about risks and lied about a host of other issues. Currently, Health Canada predicts that tobacco industry products will kill three million Canadians presently alive.
Therefore, anything credible you can do to raise the profile of the tobacco control issue would be public spirited and appreciated. We wish you well with your undertaking.
Yours sincerely,
Garfield Mahood, OC
Executive Director
And a letter from SEATCA in Thailand:
We, your friends at the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) are very excited about your next adventure in support of tobacco control: “Journey for a Tobacco-Free World”.
SEATCA is a multi-sectoral alliance established in 2001, to support ASEAN countries to develop and put in place effective policies for tobacco control.
Your run, will no doubt, help raise awareness of the dangers from tobacco use among your fellow countrymen, and create more advocates around the globe, especially in Southeast Asia.
By demonstrating your commitment and dedication towards a tobacco-free world, for us, you already are a winner. We believe that your courage and determination will provide you with strength and health throughout your journey.
Wishing you all the best on your next challenge for a healthier world!
All the best,
Bungon Ritthiphakdee,
Director, SEATCA
Bangkok, Thailand
www.seatca.org
- On behalf of the Southeastern Alberta Tobacco Reduction Coalition, I’d like to extend our best wishes to you and your run across Canada. Our Coalition has a long history of tobacco prevention, cessation and protection programs and events in schools and communities. We are happy to endorse your run and the attention it brings to the benefits of a tobacco-free world. Good Luck!
Rita Aman
– Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) writes, “I appreciate knowing that we share the same concerns about the risks – particularly youth exposure – to this deadly product, and am pleased to learn about your efforts to educate the public about the practices of the tobacco industry.” Click here to view Rep. Waxman’s letter.
– Dr. Robert Machang’u: I am extremely impressed by the pioneer initiative of Errol. There has never been a solo marathon against tobacco, that I know of, and of similar proportions I have no doubt the tobacco industry in Canada and elsewhere is not impressed at all by Errol’s initiative, because the impact of this marathon is now being felt far away beyond the borders of Canada or the US. I wish Errol all the best of health. “Dont mind the blisters.” Someday we are all going to see that it was worth it. machangur AT bf.afro.who.int October, 2010
As this list continues to grow, we are indeed honoured to be associated with all of you…and we won’t let you down.
The JOURNEY for a TOBACCO-FREE WORLD is dedicated to all of you, as well as each and every person who has prematurely died, is currently prematurely dying and/or will die prematurely (by an average of 10 – 15 years) as a direct result of using tobacco products. Currently, that global death toll stands at 5.4 million per year; that’s right, TOBACCO KILLS ONE PERSON EVERY 5 SECONDS!
Even more importantly, the JTFW is also dedicated to all of the current and future generations of KIDS (those under 19), wherever in the world they may live! Like most people, we love kids…and it goes without saying that we hope no kid will ever start smoking. But the rogue and predatory tobacco industry (TI) sees kids in a very different light; exploiting their impressionability and vulnerability, the TI views kids as nothing more than a commodity…“targets”…”new recruits” and/or “replacement smokers.” Essential to the TI’s very survival, who else is going to replace those millions of their best customers who die each and every year as a direct result of using their deadly products? As a general rule, no one starts smoking as an adult.
And finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention our very good friend Roger Perron. Roger died on August 2, 2009…at the ripe old age of 57. The ‘official’ cause of death: Heart attack. The REAL cause of death: SMOKING! Even though Roger quit smoking shortly after losing both of his legs below the knees to Buerger’s Disease (a disease of the circulatory system which occurs almost exclusively in male smokers) about 30 years ago, it was too late; tragic as losing his legs was, smoking had done a lot more irreparable damage to Roger’s entire circulatory system. R.I.P., Roger!
