6-TeCanadian Champion, Tuesday, January 25, 2005 Time to kick habit T his ycar an estimated 45,000 Canadians will die premnaturely. They n\onit tic vic- tiirs oit auitomoiible accidents or a n0îtuî ai dîsaster and mnany of their deaths could lias e been pres cnted liadt thev donc one thing --stopped smoking. We thought non vould tic a good lune tnt tlip on oîtî- soapho'. because the Quit Suiiokin' 20015 Contesti s set to hegin nexi Tnieciida. Il pio% ides the perlect opportoini- to tfor smokers - ad nou-sinokers -to etînsider the ramifications o) tsing tobacco producîs. Thie fiacts sttiTounding ttîbacco use are lrtghîening and wvell worth repeaîttîg again. - If yon're a smoker there's a 50 per cent chance you will not live to sec your 70th birthday and. if you do, it will only be atter sttffering years of a reduced quality of lite. - Smokers die eight years earlier titan non-smokers. - Smoking has shown to tic a factor in more than two dozcu discases ranging trom ulcers to osteoporosis to tootti decay. Do we rcallv need 10 rcmiud anyone of the cancer risks poscd by tobacco? - Of those 45,(() people cxpecîed to die this year front tobtaccît tise. 1,000 wîll tic non-sinokers. Sniokers aren't only kîllîug thenîselses. but others. A related statistic shows that in 201,1 800.)00(K childrcu under the age tof 12 wcre expîiscd regularly to secoinî-hand sinoke. Parents w tit smîîke are puttiîîg theiî kids' heattt at rîsk. toit Yoiiiire kiddîngs vociscîll if sit dtiiît believe ihiese numbers. Stcps have been taken in recent vears iii mlake îile dilfîct ftîr siîkers thiotigh anti-smoking advcrîising campaîgns. îucreased taxes aud bans ott smokiiig in public places. AIl these measures have bail an impact ou reducing smoking yet there's still a large contingent who canit or won't accepi the tact their habit is kîhhing thcm- sclves and others. It that's not incentise enough. the Quit Smoking 200i5 Coniesi ottcrs those isho quit the chance to n in fabulous prizes like a car and home theatre systemr. Participants musi sign up ai wn ýw.quiîsmokîîîgonîario.ca betore mid- nighî Monday and sîay smoke-trec fromn February 1 to Marth I. *Our Readers Write Elva wiIIbe sadly missed throughout town Trustees' refusai to begî,rln closure stud-ies Dear Editor: Over the holidays Milton losi one ot lits cilizens whomn 1 believe needs t0 be rec- ogmized for ail thse volunteer work she did in our town over the years. Elva Howden was one of the first peo- ple 1 eucountered when our sons played bail in Homby park. Elva was there, on a volunteer basis, behind thse snack bar. In the wiinter, se was one of thse tirai people I'd see upon entering Memorial Arena. Players, parents and fans would more oten titan not be met by Elva ai the psy booth, usually at those liard to, f111 spots on the volunteer scbedule. Being a member of MIilton Hockey Moms, 1 had the pic wiih Elva mauy times bazaar or any ollier ev behinli a cratt table, se filliasg ins wherever she Our sons have grow go 10 lIse local atenas, was stili tlsere ias her q wherever slse could. Miltonians have loat woman who speni co unleering her time fort My deepesi condolle family and fric"d. * The Canadian Cha asure of working .WIsen we had s is good news for parents across Halton ent. she waa tiiere Dear Editor: lling tickets - or Parents in Halton should heave a was needed. collective sigh of relief fihat Halton nand I no longer District Sehocîl Board trustces but lirm sure Elva rcltîscd to begin closure studies in luiet way, helping four communities carlier thîs, month. a lovely, generous lu doing so. they put an end to the itless boums vol- - onîcnîious practice of trading our beutefit. older sehools in esîablished com- sces go out11 li er munîttes to build sehools mn ne% areas. And they sent a clear mes- Loulse WDITf sage to board staffers ihai they Mitn non't rubtier stamp staff rccom- mendations in the absence ot com- pelling aud complete supporttug information. rnp l Betore the closure sîudy motion np on was tabîcd. board staff made a pres- entation to trustees on thse Capital Strategie Plan. the board's long d1.l l .E. The Cateadiae Champion, publisiied eoeiy Toinday ana Firay ai 191 Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 Main Str t Milton Oit L9T 4N9 SBox 2489 n one of T he Metiolano Pnîntring Puiniing & tttibttn Lid 91000 of soloitan comparueis 001000 ~ 41 includes tirai Ptroting Newsn Adoeriser Alirnion tieral Ccuiter Sarie (905)8 78 -2~34 Adoance, totton Enterprie. Biam-pton Goatranl Bonfington Poi tonlingn Shropping News, City Parent City il Yorn Goatdian. 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Richmond Hiii Tiîornniit 100090 Libetot Soae- Neil Olier ntrot talit, Ptîhftt)teiý Poootl Mio Stoutfilte Otxbridge Tribune Jitl Da% iFuti i lte Odeisi sg n oeored on fhe condtin îlot tfthe avnt ci a ,00o F gtaofioal erron in0r porion ofthe adaesnrO t ed onouped by tu erro- Karen Smith tRiti nî ttttî ecL te letroinete tia oronabe Otoarot for signature ait rhoi On WNeud% MlcNah aat' ittitan Dii t, afargd for brt the tarain cinnh adetiseteti ce~ to taid ira appui c.W aote Th, t inoto eseo et. gt tiî oi cafeno .-t i-tr Tia ciltes Pir 'lia fît lfiaiî or on tranges accommoditJaitin plaînning document. Staît advised trustees ihat in lighî tif nen% demîîgraphîc information. accoimmodation needs were over- sîaîed iii the plan and. once again. the plan nst uld have to tic resisited. lu a nuishell. they wercntî goiug it tic building ail the schools onigi- nally considcred. Hon, înauy sehools wouldu't tic buili sud in nhich communîttes wasn't yeî kuown lu essence then, the Capital Sîraiegic Plan, as curreutly wrineu., doesu't work. Board staff admit tbis. Hon then can trustees voie to begin closure studies wheu thse plan that guides decistous is in the proccss o) being rewnhtten? 'Mse supporting information sîmply was- uit there. No doubi staff sud some trustees may point oîut thai closure studies eau be disconttuued midstream if ihey discos er that the sehîtols under studv aren't 'exces. Hîîn et er. ibis disregards the upheas ai ILi the chuloîrcî sud parents tif the school under study. And tl discounts the very real sîde effeet ti schools under thrcat of dlo- sure -ihat each time a school is îîamed ou a elosure lisi or study public perceptiomn of the schools is dimîuîshed. Trustees who supported the moratorium ou school closures obvîously uuderstand that closure studies. regardless of their fiudings, have serious cousequences for communîties. And iiîey understand their responsbulity to get complete sud current information betore ihcy vote. Carol Dougherty Milton E-Mail ail your letters to the editor ta militoned@haltonsearch.com. Pud by Steve Nease LChartene Halt Ditibhtiontt lîtate Teri Casas O.tboî é, itae tnoott an atoaoa snt content of lie anda 0000 iri-oas p'tecne b, ccp0rrgtr Utatied use aS peOlrOrted iThe Miton Canara Chtatmpioe ia Senpraaae Pndant » i