The Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco (OCAT) was founded by five leading health agencies in 1992 to secure the passage of Ontario's Tobacco Control Act (TCA) The TCA's passage in 1994 made tobacco sales and supply to minors illegal, eliminated the sale of tobacco in pharmacies and vending machines, and made certain public places smoke-free.

Currently, a primary focus of the OCAT is the elimination of second-hand smoke from all public places and workplaces in Ontario. This web site is largely devoted to second-hand smoke issues:

• Health Effects – Heart disease, stroke, cancer, respiratory diseases, children’s diseases.
• Ventilation – Why it does not eliminate toxins from second-hand smoke and how it has become a tobacco industry-sponsored strategy.
• Economic Impact – Evidence behind allegations of economic impact resulting from implementing smoke-free legislation.
• Legal Issues – Legal challenges to smoke-free bylaws and Workplace Safety & Insurance Board settlements involving second-hand smoke in the workplace.
• Opposition – Canadian tobacco companies, tobacco industry campaigns, and current information on hospitality organizations and individuals active in opposing the elimination of second-hand smoke exposure from public places and workplaces.

We provide information on the most significant studies and meta-analyses on second-hand smoke, from economic impact to the health effects. For additional medical journal articles, we suggest searching MEDLINE , or “Current Abstracts on Tobacco”, available through the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit Subscription information can be obtained by contacting info@otru.org

For those interested in information on advocacy, we provide The Smoke-Free Lobby , a toolkit for those wishing to promote smoke-free policies in their area.

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