Journey for a Tobacco-Free World

If you

LOVE KIDS,

you must

HATE* TOBACCO!

Introducing the JOURNEY for a TOBACCO-FREE WORLD

Hear — and heed — the call!
From spring to fall,
it’s the anti-tobacco run, walk or crawl
from Victoria to Montreal!

WHO will be doing the JTFW?

The JOURNEY for a TOBACCO-FREE WORLD will be done by Errol E. Povah, current president of Airspace Action on Smoking and Health, Canada’s (possibly the world’s) leading all-volunteer anti-tobacco organization, and a 30-year volunteer anti-tobacco activist.

Some of Povah’s support team will join him for parts of the JTFW.

And, of course, audience participation is very much encouraged as we pass through cities and towns… big and small, between Victoria and Montreal!

WHEN and WHERE will the JTFW take place?

The JOURNEY for a TOBACCO-FREE WORLD will launch on May 31, 2010 (not coincidentally, the World Health Organization’s World No Tobacco Day!) at Mile Zero of the Trans Canada Highway, in Victoria, B.C.  Time of launch: 10 AM.

Estimated date of completion, in Montreal, Quebec:  The last week of October. Time, energy and resources permitting, the journey will continue to the Philip Morris corporate headquarters on Park Avenue in New York City, and arrive in the last week of November.

WHAT is the JTFW?

The JOURNEY for a TOBACCO-FREE WORLD is a first-of-its-kind — anywhere, ever — anti-tobacco, cross-Canada shore-to-shore ‘run, walk or crawl’ awareness and fund-raising event.

The purpose of the JTFW:

1.  To raise awareness about
a)  tobacco
b)  the tobacco industry and
c)  the anti-tobacco movement… specifically, that small but powerful segment that is now calling for the total eradication of the tobacco industry from the face of the planet;

2.  To raise funds for the War on Tobacco; and

3.  To personally deliver a message to Benjamin Kemball, president and CEO of Imperial Tobacco, Canada’s largest cigarette manufacturer (maker of Player’s and du Maurier).

The JTFW is a precedent-setting event — because the ultimate objective is to put a powerful multi-billion dollar multi-national industry out of business. We encourage you to participate in it in whatever way works best for you.

WHY is Errol doing the JTFW?

Errol is doing the Journey for a Tobacco-Free World because 123 Canadians die prematurely (by an average of 10 – 15 years) each and every day as a direct result of tobacco use. And, for the tobacco industry to stay in business, at least 123 Canadian kids have to start smoking, each and every day!

Povah has been living in the Lower Mainland for about 15 years. As a longtime activist and current President of Airspace, Povah has, at his own expense, travelled all over the world… to attend international anti-tobacco conferences and protest tobacco industry conventions, often risking jail.

Povah recognizes that “tobacco control” is no longer good enough:  Given what is now known about both tobacco itself and the industry that so aggressively markets the product — globally and primarily to teens and children — there is no justification whatsoever for civilized countries to allow the tobacco industry to continue to exist!

With all due respect to all those who have gone before him — raising funds for cancer “research” (to, ultimately, find a “cure”), for spinal cord injury “research” (to, ultimately, find a “cure”), for autism “research” (to, ultimately, find a “cure”), for AIDS, etc., etc., etc. — not one cent of the money Povah raises will go toward either “research” or any other efforts to find a “cure”.  Why?  Because we know exactly what causes 85% of all lung cancer cases in Canada, as well as most cases of emphysema, and many cases of heart disease and COPD, etc.  Those diseases and other smoking-related diseases result in 45,000 prematurely dead Canadians, EACH AND EVERY YEAR!  NO RESEARCH REQUIRED!  What is required, however, is snapping decision-makers (politicians) out of their collective ignorance — or, worse yet, apathy — by educating them on this critically important issue.

HOW will the funds raised by the JTFW be spent?

Efforts are currently underway to secure corporate sponsorships to cover all of the administrative costs associated with the JOURNEY for a TOBACCO-FREE WORLD. While we can guarantee you that these costs will be much lower than those of other anti-tobacco groups, such as government departments and charitable organizations, there may still be a small shortfall to be covered by money received from donations.

The tobacco industry loves kids for all the wrong reasons; we love them for the right ones!  10% of the funds raised by the JTFW will be donated to:
– Variety Club (the Children’s Charity) of British Columbia;
– B.C.’s Children’s Hospital; and
– Sick Kids Hospital (Toronto)

We can’t help but wonder how many of the kids in those hospitals are there because of smoking:
– a multitude of fetal conditions are caused by maternal smoking (during pregnancy);
– asthma and other respiratory diseases caused by exposure to second-hand smoke; and/or
– burns caused by fires ignited by negligent smoking or kids having easy access to smoking materials.

The remaining 70% of the funds raised by the JTFW will be used by Airspace Action on Smoking and Health to continue and accelerate its incredible advocacy work.  To date, Airspace has ‘survived’ exclusively on memberships and donations.  Since Airspace president Errol Povah’s retirement, he is dedicating most of his time and energy to this worthwhile cause, which will involve a great deal of travel. He plans to meet with politicians in Victoria, Ottawa, Washington DC and other capitals (including those in Developing Countries, where the tobacco industry is currently engaged in a massive unfettered rape and pillage program). Povah also plans a visit to New York City, the home of Philip Morris, one of the world’s biggest tobacco companies.

Not one cent of the money Povah raises will go toward either “research” or “finding a cure.” We know exactly what causes 85% of all lung cancer cases in Canada. This and other smoking-related diseases result in 45,000 prematurely dead Canadians, each and every year! No research required.

HOW much should I contribute to the JTFW?

First and foremost, please feel free to contribute absolutely any amount that works for you…to the JOURNEY for a TOBACCO-FREE WORLD.

Here are some more specific suggestions:

Terry Fox suggested, “One dollar for every Canadian man, woman and child.”; we suggest an even more modest “ten cents for every Canadian man, woman and child!”

– $1.23… or move the decimal one or more places to the right.   😎   That’s one cent for each Canadian killed as a direct result of tobacco use EACH AND EVERY DAY and the number of Canadian kids the tobacco industry needs each day to replace its dead customers!

– $10 or $100…or whatever a package/carton of cigarettes costs nowadays in your jurisdiction.