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6- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday January 24, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS A DIVISION OF Media Group Ltd. NEIL OLIVER Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director TERI CASAS Business Manager MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. Manager IAN OLIVER Group Publisher It pays to stop smoking A report released last week from the American Cancer Society offered some encouraging news on the war-on-cancer front. In comparing the number of cancerrelated deaths between 2004 and 2003, officials found a drop of more than 3,000 deaths in 2004 from the previous year. That marked the second year in a row since 1930 that a decline in cancer-related deaths occurred. U.S. experts are attributing the success to a reduction in smoking and early detection -- particularly of colorectal cancer. Figures indicate the lung cancer death rate in men has been falling. Unfortunately firm figures for 2004 from the Canadian Cancer Society are not available, but the society suggests deaths here haven't diminished. That said, we're hoping it is only a matter of time before the pattern in Canada begins to mimic that of the U.S. -- and giving up smoking is the best way to start. With this being National NonSmoking Week (Jan. 21-27) Halton Region is again encouraging smokers to take those initial steps towards becoming smoke-free. The municipality offers Stop Smoking Clinics that provide free counselling at locations in Halton. For individuals who need help to quit smoking, but don't have time to attend one of Halton's Stop Smoking Clinics, the Smokers' Helpline (1-877-513-5333) may be of assistance. Halton is partnering with the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion, Canadian Cancer Society and Halton Council on Smoking or Health to promote the annual Driven to Quit challenge, which will be launched today (Wednesday) and is open to all Ontario residents who smoke. The winner in this year's contest will receive an Acura CSX provided by Johnson & Johnson. There will also be a regional prize of a 32-inch Sony LCD high-definition TV. Individuals can register online for the contest from now until Feb. 28 at www.driventoquit.ca. Then, participants will have to go smoke-free for the month of March. However, we believe that giving your lungs a fresh start is far more valuable than an Acura or a high-definition TV. How can you put a price on your health? The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Running red lights is common problem with serious consequences I would like the opportunity to vent for a moment, and if you have space, could you please print the following? Just over a year ago I was broadsided at the intersection of Dorval and Speers by a woman who ran a red light. The light wasn't yellow, turning red as she went through it: my light had turned green, and I happened to be the first one to proceed. She was going about 60 km/h and didn't even slow down or notice my car directly ahead of her. Luckily, although my car was totalled, I was not hurt, and neither was she. She did not offer one word of explanation (what could she say, after all?) or apology. Since that time, I have become more and more aware of the problem of red-light runners in Oakville. I notice about two or three a day. This morning, driving my daughter to school, I saw two -- in 10 minutes. In both cases, the light had turned red, and the drivers sailed through the intersection, not caring or noticing that they were breaking the law. When will this careless and irresponsible behaviour end? How big a hurry is everyone in? What on earth is going on with the people in this town? I am disgusted and horrified, and I implore my daughter who has just started driving recently, to please watch out at BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com intersections and not assume people will stop on a red light, law or no law. Come on, folks, let's have some courtesy, and some decency, and let's stop on those red lights. J. DUNLOP Stop whining about old tree I don't usually send e-mails, but come on it is getting annoying listening to these whiners in The Oakville Beaver. It is a beautiful tree, and saving it is the right thing to do. I lived in Vancouver for years, and you would never hear anyone opposing the saving of a tree. I was born and raised in Oakville, and now live in Bronte. If we have a say in where tax dollars go, then being single without children, I would like all my school tax dollars back please, since I am paying, for those people who oppose the tree, for their kids to go to school. Come on everyone, if you don't want the tree, that is fine, just pull your children from school please -- and grow up. The tree did. DAVID CARROLL The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Pud