Is it time to treat advertising for fossil fuels the same way tobacco advertising is handled?
A group of more than 30 health organizations across the country, representing 700,000 health professionals, think so.
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment has released an open letter calling on the federal government to ban advertising promoting fossil fuels.
The ban would include ads for gasoline, fossil fuel utilities, and even gas-powered vehicles. The association also wants federal officials to crack down on misleading environmental claims and full public disclosure of health risks.
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"Fossil fuel greenwashing is a massive problem that confuses Canadians and obstructs climate action," said CAPE President-Elect Doctor Melissa Lem. "In British Columbia, where close to 600 people died in the heat dome last year, the gas industry dangles the promise of "renewable natural gas" in ads to convince homeowners to install gas in their homes. However, less than one per cent of the fuel mix is renewable. The rest is fracked gas, which accelerates the climate crisis and harms the health of the local communities where it is extracted."
If successful, it would be the first ban in the world.
Canada banned tobacco advertising in 1988 because of the health risks presented by tobacco smoking. CAPE argues fossil fuels are just as harmful.
A Health Canada report said fossil fuel air pollution was responsible for between 15,000 and 34,000 Canadian deaths a year, and children who live in homes with gas stoves have a 24 to 42 per cent increased risk of asthma.
"Canadians with asthma are disproportionately affected by poor air quality, but all Canadians deserve to breathe clean air," said President and CEO of Asthma Canada, Vanessa Foran. "We owe it to the next generation to act on this evidence."
The letter kicks off a new campaign called "Fossil Fuel Ads Make Us Sick."