The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation On Memory - 1605 Words

This study investigated the effects of sleep deprivation on memory. A sample of 17 Long-Evans rats was deprived of water except for a 15-minute exposure. Day one just water was administered, day two grape juice was administered followed by a LiCl injection and day three both water and grape juice were administered. Half of the rats were sleep deprived on day two and taste aversion was calculated on day three. The groups gave unexpected results but the results were significant. Sleep has been a widely controversial topic discussed in the study of learning and memory. The lack of sleep has been thought to disrupt learning and negatively affect memory. The association between memory and sleep is still being studied and many have supported†¦show more content†¦It was concluded that test performance was not affected by REM sleep. There was also no significant data concluded in this study. Another study on hypothermia and conditioned taste aversion was done on male albino Wistar-derived rats (Hinderliter, Musci, Pollack, Misanin,Anderson, 2004). These rats were investigated to see if hypothermia affected the effect of conditioned taste aversion. The rats were made hypothermic at different intervals following the taste aversion. The data suggests that shorter CS-US intervals resulted in amnesia and longer CS-US intervals resulted in an association based on a slowed metabolism. The data concluded that hypothermia altered the ability to learn. Bradley Youn gblood, Jun Zhou, Gennady Smagin, Donna Ryan and Ruth Harris (1997) conducted a study entitled Sleep Deprivation by the â€Å"Flower Pot† Technique and Spatial Reference Memory. In this study, they put rats in a Morris water maze and test how long it took for them to reach the platform. However, after day one they were sleep deprived by being placed on a platform above water so if they lost muscle control, by trying to fall asleep, they would fall in the water. From trial one to trial four the time to find the platform, in the Morris water maze, doubled. This study concluded that sleep deprivation caused memory impairments. In the current study, in consistency with previous literature, our hypothesis was

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Crown Cork and Seal Free Essays

Crown Cork and Seal Competitive Environment Analysis Exercise Corporate Purpose Crown Cork and Seal had three segments Metal Containers (cans), Closures (crowns), and packaging equipment. Metal containers are cans used in things such as soft drinks or aerosol cans. These were made from steel until being switched over to aluminum in the early 80’s. We will write a custom essay sample on Crown Cork and Seal or any similar topic only for you Order Now Crowns which are closures for any type item such as a jar. â€Å"Metal containers generated 65% of Crown’s $1. 88 billion 1988 sales, while closures generated 30% and packaging equipment 5%. † The mission of Crown Cork and Seal was to â€Å"be successful. To do this Connelly had to take control of cost. He did this by first trimming the workforce by letting go anyone not needed which reduced payroll by 24%. â€Å"The second step was to institute the concept of accountability. † He did this by instilling pride and a sense of workmanship in the employees. He also gave plant managers â€Å"responsibility for plant profitability† as well as quality and customer service. Last but not leased he focused on the company’s debt. He paid off the banks through â€Å"inventory reduction and liquidation. †His vision and strategy for the future emphasized â€Å"cost efficiency, quality, and customer service. Connelly did this by focusing on the companyâ €™s strengths. He was able to improve on their strengths by focusing on the beverage can and new aerosol market. Simultaneously, he improved manufacturing including adapting to customer needs. Environment Analysis: General Environment: Demographic: 1989 over 120,795,000 metal cans were sold. Socio-Culture: The movement away from metal cans to plastic and glass has been a problem as they gain a bigger market share. Political-Legal:Political will play a big part in recycling and the push for â€Å"going green. This will also take effect for the legal aspects as new laws will be in place for more recycling and cleaners running manufacturing plants. Technological:Shut down old out dated plants and opened up new plants across the US with new equipment. Economic: As higher gas prices hit lighter products such as plastic will be more economical to ship to customers verses a heavier metal can. Global: Connelly focused on international growth. He specifically targeted developing countri es. Soon foreign plants generated 44% of sales and 54% of operating profits. Competitive environment: Buyers The competitive environment for the buyers appears to favor the buyers over Crown Cork and Seal and its competitors for many reasons. Major buyers in this industry include Coca-Cola Company and Incorporated, Anheuser-Busch, and PepsiCo. In other words there are a low number of buyers, all of which are very large and powerful companies. The size distribution is mostly centered on these major buyers; however there are other companies such as Seagram’s, Molson, and Labatt. Because there are so few companies for CCS to sell to, a high percentage of sales are dependent on these buyers. This low number of buyers is due to consolidation within the soft drink segment, from 8,000 bottlers in 1980 to about 800 in 1989. Generally 45% of the total cost to buyers went into purchasing the cans. Due to the total cost of cans, buyers try to maintain many relationships with many can makers to increase bargaining power and reduce costs. As a result of this the buyer is not heavily dependent on one single can company. Switching costs are also lower for buyers for the same reason; they already have many resources to choose from. Buyers also are likely to profit fairly well compared to can manufacturers. Can manufacturers must maintain low prices in order to compete with each other to gain share over these very few yet powerful buyers. Some brewers are avoiding switching costs all together through backward entry into the market. By 1989, due to production of cans by â€Å"captive† plants, 25% of all can output was produced by captive plants. By 1980 brewers had capability to supply 55% of their can needs. As a result threat of backward entry is very likely for brewers. It is easier for brewers to do this because they make high-volume single-label products. While at the same time soft drink industry could not easily do this because they focused on low-volume multiple-label products. The aluminum can has three major substitutes buyers can choose from: Plastic bottles, which constituted for 11% of soft drink sales in 1989 along with a growth rate from 9 to 18% from 1980 to 1989; Glass bottles, which constituted for 14% of sales in the soft drink industry in 1989; and steel cans. The aluminum can however is a unique and valuable product to the industry, which is why they constituted for 75% of total sales in 1989. As stated in the case aluminum has many advantages over its substitutes. Aluminum is lighter than glass and steel, aluminum is easy to handle and fill, aluminum allows for a wider variety of graphics options, and also consumers prefer aluminum. Because this product is so unique and advanced, it absolutely increases the buyer’s product quality. Cans have a longer shelf life than plastics and bottles, they are lighter and easier to handle, and since they are coated with a protected seal inside the can taste is not sacrificed. All of which add value and quality to the finished product given to be consumed. Suppliers There are three large aluminum suppliers: Alcoa, Alcan, and Reynolds Metals. Alcoa is the largest producer of aluminum with sales of $9. 8 billion, Alcan ranked a close second with $8. 5 billion in sales, and Reynolds Metals is ranked second in the united states with sales of $5. 6 billion. The percentage of our supplies that come from large suppliers are 21% aluminum and 23% steel. Crown Cork and Seal represents 61% of sales for large suppliers. The supplied product is unique in that they have injected the aluminum cans gas to help the metal retain its shape. This allows the cans to hold more than just caffeinated beverages. Also, the steel is produced thinner to cut costs and weight and there are even steel/ aluminum mixes. In addition to aluminum and steel, there are glass and plastic suppliers that offer unique products based on function. There are always substitutes for a particular supplied product. With the advancement in technology, a cheaper, lighter product could be developed or a new innovative product could be discovered. For example: Bottling has transitioned over the decades from being primarily glass, then to steel, and now aluminum. The cost for switching a particular supplied product would be $20-$25 million based on the finding of switching from three piece to two piece cans. From reviewing the case, there does not seem to be a supplier that is excessively profitable. Even though Alcoa has the largest share of the market making $9. 8 billion in sales, Alcan is not too far behind with the $8. 5 billion. The other suppliers could always come out with a product which would give them a greater competitive advantage, and give threaten Alcoa’s top ranking position. In addition to profitability, there is a great likely hood to forward entry by a supplier. Reynolds Metals, who is a supplier, sold over 11 billion cans itself. The supplier’s product is very important to our product quality. The difference between the value of resources used and the value of the aluminum can to the brewer makes up the surplus value between what the supplier sells the aluminum for and what Crown Cork and Seal can get for it. Competitors Entrants There are a number of threatening entrants to the can manufacturing business. As the market continues to see more suppliers producing cans, and more brewers skipping the middle man (can manufacturer), the threat becomes more serious. Substitutes The shift towards plastic bottles, and perhaps more innovative materials are the threats to substitutes for cans. Corporate Profitability and Productivity: Please See Appendix A Threats to Competitive Equilibrium A 10X force that may come from the general environment to greatly disturb Crown Cork and Seal’s equilibrium in the market might be a socio-cultural shift to be more health conscious. This may hurt the soft drink industry especially hard since they are so high in sugar and there is an epidemic of diabetes and childhood obesity in America. In 1989, soft drinks accounted for more than 50% of the beverage industry. If the health craze were to gain momentum, it could cut into soft drink sales severely. This would increase the market for water and juices. However, water and juice tend to come in plastic containers for the most part. Crown, Cork Seal never got into the plastics market and this could be a huge problem for them. If they do not find a new market for their products they might be left out in the cold once a health revolution occurs in society. The impact on sales would be overwhelming. This would bring profits way down and they may even start to have losses if they do not make adjustments fast enough. Their assets may also decrease in value because there would be less demand for can making machines due to an increase in the need for plastics making machines. With this massive shift in end-user sentiment, Crown, Cork, and Seal would have trouble convincing investors and banks to bet on them thus increasing their cost of capital greatly. A 10X force from the competitive environment could come from Crown, Cork, and Seal’s buyers, especially soft drink bottlers. There has been a trend of consolidation among soft drink bottlers and they have used this to gain leverage over their suppliers and get discounts for their bulk orders. If they were to continue with this trend of consolidation, it could create a scenario in which the bottlers could make their cans in-house cheaper than ordering them from companies like Crown, Cork, and Seal. This would be devastating for Crown, Cork, and Seal to say the least. Since soft drink bottlers are Crown, Cork, and Seal’s largest buyer, this would likely put so much stress on the company that it would eventually become obsolete unless the trend changed or the company shifted their focus before it was too late. This 10X force would bring sales way down for Crown, Cork, and Seal. Even if their sales were not hit as hard as possible, their profits would likely suffer anyway because of the pressure their buyers would be able to put on them with the threat of in-house can manufacturing. Their assets would not drop too much in value because there would still be a market for can manufacturing equipment in this scenario. Crown, Cork, and Seal would likely find it more difficult to attract investors to their company and even their cost of debt would increase with a likely decrease in the rating of their bonds. These two setbacks would drive up their cost of capital and make it difficult to raise money to shift their focus if they wait too long to do so. How to cite Crown Cork and Seal, Papers

Argumentative Essay About Smoking Example For Students

Argumentative Essay About Smoking Thank you for your warm welcome. Good afternoon. David, thank you for your introduction. To David, Dr. Cynthia Callard and all the others in the organization known as Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, thank you for having invited me to be part of this day. Also, thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak with you about our common commitment against smoking. And let me also say how much I admire the work that has been done by the members of the Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada. As David mentioned, because of the nature of your profession, you see up close and first hand the effects of tobacco use. You have seen its toll and you have decided to move beyond treating its symptoms to confronting its causes and by bringing your insight and your efforts from your practices to the public domain. You have made a real difference and I want to express today, on behalf of the government of Canada, our gratitude and admiration for the efforts that you have made in this important area. I know there are other groups present here today, health groups committed to reducing the level of smoking in Canada, people who have spent their time and their energy speaking out and acting. By doing so, you have earned the respect of Canadians by helping us better understand the impact of tobacco use. The example that you have set, whether through individual action or membership in groups, by speaking out, organizing, acting, and raising public awareness of these issues, you have demonstrated once again that in order to effect positive change it is not necessary to run for Parliament or to hold a senior public position. Someone once said that the highest office in a democracy is the office of citizen and by your commitment and by your actions you have fully discharged the responsibilities of that office and you have made Canada a better place. What brings us all here together is National Non-Smoking Week. This week also draws attention to the many people and groups that are activ e in anti-smoking initiatives. The commitment that each of you brings to non-smoking is shared by my provincial and territorial colleagues, family doctors and specialists, medical and health associations, and by municipalities, voluntary groups and individuals across Canada. We will write a custom essay on Argumentative About Smoking specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now As that range of participants shows, National Non-Smoking Week is very much rooted in our communities. Across Canada, voluntary organizations are providing information and programs to help discourage young people from smoking. They are making services available to people who do smoke now but who want to quit. Each year, this week is an opportunity for health partners to assess our collective progress and to identify the work ahead of us. And we all know there is much work to do. Smoking is, by far, the leading cause of preventable death in Canada today. As David Esdaile mentioned, the current estimate is that 45,000 Canadians lives end prematurely every year because of tobacco use. The hundreds of young people who start smoking every day run the risk of developing a lifelong addiction that will sap their vitality, reduce their enjoyment of life and lead to an early death. And I am someone who knows the power of that addiction. I began smoking cigarettes when I was 13 years of age and I smoked heavily until I was 35. I tried in vain a hundred times to quit. And although it has now been 15 years since I quit, I can still understand vividly and very personally the difficulty that smokers face when they try to put it aside. As a father of children who are now at the most vulnerable age in terms of the temptation to smoke, I want to do everything I can to keep them from that addiction. And like probably everybody in this room, my family has been touched by illness caused by tobacco. That experience lends a special sense of urgency to the work in which we are engaged together. So, this National Non-Smoking Week presents an opportunity for the government of Canada and for this Minister of Health to reaffirm our commitment against tobacco use, to assure Canadians that their federal government is determined to use all lawful means available to us, to confront this public health issue with taxation, information, education, regulation and innovation. If we are to succeed in meeting this objective, our commitment must be shared, and it must be long-term. I would like to propose that we use this week, each year, as an occasion for reporting to Canadians on what we have accomplished, and for indicating how we intend to proceed. I would like to make a public report to Canadians on our progress in the battle against tobacco through a speech such as this. I propose that every year during National Non-Smoking Week Canadas Minister of Health stand before Canadians on occasions such as this and make a progress report on our efforts against smoking. I believe such an annual report would be useful as a means to inform Canadians on this issue, to remind smokers of the need to quit, to encourage an active agenda and to ensure the accountability of governments. Today I am happy to announce that we are moving aggressively to improve the regulation of tobacco products in three important ways. First, with tough new package labelling requirements. Second, with measures that will reduce the impact of tobacco promotions including point of sale restrictions in corner stores. And third, by confirming our plan to table in Parliament comprehensive new reporting requirements for tobacco companies. I am pleased to see here today Dr. Grant Hill, Reform Party health critic, and the Official Opposition in Parliament. I look forward to working constructively with Dr. Hill toward the achievement of these objectives. I know of his personal and political commitment to the effort of reducing and eliminating tobacco use. Now let me deal with each of these three subjects in turn. First, as to the labelling of tobacco products, I am releasing today our proposed new labelling requirements under the Tobacco Act. When in place these proposals will make Canada a world leader in the regulation of tobacco labelling. Canadians who smoke will find enhanced and more prominent information about the health consequences of tobacco use on every package of cigarettes. Let me take a few moments to detail what we are putting before the public. First, we are proposing to update the set of health messages that are now in use. We have declared our intention to add five new health messages that were developed with the advice of Canadians, particularly young people stark messages like Smoking Can Cause a Slow and Painful Death. Let me read another proposed mess age. It was actually suggested to us by a 13-year-old girl during one of our focus groups Smoking is a Weakness, Not a Strength. We also intend to provide consumers with more extensive information on the toxic emissions of tobacco products. We are going to increase the number of toxic emissions listed on the labels from three to six for most products. We will support that information with details on the effects that these emissions can have on the health of Canadians. And we wont stop there. We will make that information much more visible by allocating 60% of the front and the back display panels of each package of cigarettes to toxic emission data. You can see on the examples that are displayed here today on this stage how prominent that information is going to be. And you can see that this is going to be an effective and a powerful way to bring home to Canadians, as they consider using the product or as they use it, the consequences for their own health. And there is more. We int end to require a wider range of tobacco products to meet these labelling requirements than we have to date. The changing make-up of Canadian society and a changing tobacco industry have brought new products into this marketplace. We intend to expand our labelling requirements to cover all of those products, doing so in ways that are appropriate to each. The proposals also provide consumers and retailers with other important information. For example, each package of cigarettes will contain a reminder that federal law prohibits their sale to underage persons. We will add a message inside the package about where smokers can find help if they want to quit, either a Web site or a 1-800 number. Now lets remember why labelling regulation is important and what we are trying to achieve with these proposed changes. Lets remember that information on the package is one of the most effective and memorable ways of communicating to smokers and others the reality of the choice they are making. Smok ers carry that package around with them. They take it out of their pocket sometimes as many as 20 times a day. It is often left in the sight of others, including children. As long as we respect the guidance given to us by the Supreme Court of Canada, we intend to make full use of this information tool to convey effective messages to smokers and to those who are considering using the product. I want you to know we have tested these messages. We have tested the information about toxic emissions. We have tested the format in which we will convey the information. And we believe these changes will be effective as they give people the information they need to make personal choices about their own behaviour. I look forward to hearing the comments of Canadians and particularly health groups such as those represented here today in relation to these proposals. I want to receive those comments in the coming months. I want to have these regulations in force by the end of this year. The second b road initiative to which I draw attention today relates to possible choices for regulating the promotion of tobacco products. We especially seek the views of Canadians on how best to control the advertising and retail display of these products. We want to come to grips with the fact that retail sales outlets are used by the tobacco industry to advertise its products and that children are directly and continuously exposed to those advertisements. This is evident to any of us on any visit to a corner store. You will often see an array of cigarettes displayed at childrens eye level, or cigarette displays placed near hockey trading cards and chewing gum, a selection of colours, graphics and photographs calculated not only to convey brand information but to attract new customers. Some estimate the tobacco industry spends as much as $60 million a year just on the method of presentation at the point of sale in retail outlets. Well, its high time that we spend time and effort distinguishing between lawful communication with adult customers on the one hand, and on the other, the insidious targeting of children. In Canada 85% of our addicted smokers start, like I did, before the age of 16. Lets do everything the law allows to limit the exposure of children to the promotion of tobacco. We believe the proposals that we are announcing today will help us achieve just that. Now I would like to talk about the third part of our announcement. During the course of the next parliamentary session, I intend to table additional regulations covering comprehensive reporting requirements. I am referring to the regulations we want to put in place to introduce the reporting requirements on the sale and the composition of tobacco products. These regulations will also require the tobacco industry to provide information on the publicity and promotions it conducts as well as on a greater number of toxic emissions, over and above what the industry is required to currently declare. .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9 , .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9 .postImageUrl , .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9 , .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9:hover , .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9:visited , .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9:active { border:0!important; } .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9:active , .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9 .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ubcacad957ef143d70c7779d056cd21b9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Role Of Decision Making In The Pre-crisis Peri EssayThe information were calling for would not only give Canada the most extensive reporting requirements in the world, it will also be a continual source of data that we can use to better inform Canadians about tobacco use and to plot our strategy in our continuing efforts against tobacco use. So, as you can see, the proposals that I am announcing today, taken together, are about public information getting information to Canadians about the tobacco products that they are using or considering using. They are about learning more about the tobacco industry and its tactics. They are about putting information in front of Can adians who smoke or who consider doing so, and enabling people to overcome the misinformation that too often occurs in relation to tobacco. A good example of that confusion are the so-called mild or light cigarettes. Lets be clear about something. Smokers will not avoid deadly risks by switching to the so-called mild or light brands. Smoking those cigarettes has the same potential to be as debilitating, indeed as lethal as regular cigarettes. The research shows that people who smoke the mild or light brands often smoke more of them or inhale more deeply. They are thereby exposing themselves to the same number of toxic emissions as in other cigarettes and are negating any theoretical difference. We want to make it clear to Canadians that these brands are not a healthy option. There is only one healthy option, and thats quitting. In the months ahead we will be developing regulatory measures that will at the very least put the facts in front of smokers. In the meantime, I am today issu ing a consumer warning on this very issue to address the real and dangerous confusion that surrounds the terms mild and light. Thats the kind of information and message that has to get out to smokers, especially young people. Over time, we have learned a great deal about how to communicate these messages what works and what doesnt. We have learned a lot but we cannot stand still. There is still a great deal more to learn. To that end I am going to be forming a Youth Advisory Committee to help keep my work to reduce youth smoking focussed and effective. And speaking of advice, I know that some of you will be attending tomorrows round table of experts on the denormalization of the tobacco industry. I am sure that like me you are interested in looking at ideas that might help us in our work in the Canadian context to counterbalance the steady flow of images that makes smoking seem natural and desirable when its anything but. Its also going to be about informing Canadians of the market ing tactics used by the tobacco industry to recruit new smokers. Tomorrows round table is an example of learning about and borrowing from practices elsewhere that have proved successful. We have to continue to study and to import practices that work. That is why, in the coming weeks, Health Canada will be organizing a delegation of its officials and non-government organizations to visit places such as California and Massachusetts where innovative strategies on youth smoking have been developed. Lets go and see for ourselves what they do that works and at the same time lets share with them some of the ground-breaking work done right here in Canada. And let me say, having mentioned Health Canada, its not often emphasized but we have, at Health Canada, a team of committed and hard-working officials who have responded with enthusiasm and vigour to my call to organize and act on an aggressive agenda. I want to thank Ian Potter and his team for the hard work they have done in putting toge ther the proposals for todays announcement. Thanks Ian. I want to emphasize one other thing before I conclude. I do not regard the initiatives that I have described today as a replacement for the kind of effort that was envisioned in S-13, the Bill that came out of the Senate. While the measures announced today are valuable and are effective in their own right, they are not, and they are certainly not intended to be in place of a strong, well-funded strategy against youth smoking. I see Senator Colin Kenny here today and my colleague, Dr. Carolyn Bennett. They are to be congratulated for their commitment and tenacity to keep this subject so high on the public agenda. I thank you. And for my own part, I want to assure you I will continue to advocate strongly on behalf of an initiative like S-13, or an alternative that meets the standard that it has established. Later this week I am going to announce the composition of a caucus committee that will be asked to develop proposals in this regard. Now let me conclude by acknowledging that tobacco is a complex and a powerful adversary. Smoking is addictive. Its influence sometimes seems pervasive. It is part of the daily ritual of almost seven million Canadians and it is going to take a sustained and a long term effort by all partners to achieve our public health goals. But those challenges give us every reason to get down to work and I am here today to tell you as Canadas Minister of Health that I am fully committed to our common cause. Over the years, the partnership between health ministers and health groups has produced some very substantial gains on the subject of tobacco use. Smoking bans that were thought of as radical 20 years ago are now commonplace. Public awareness of smoking risks has never been higher. And our new Tobacco Act sets a world standard for anti-tobacco legislation. It is now up to us, those of us in this room, those whom we represent, and me, as Minister of Health, to sustain that effort and t o make further progress, step by step, to use all available tools as shrewdly as we can, and above all, to speak with one voice in serving notice on those who have a different interest that we shall continue until we prevail. Thank you very much for having invited me here today. Words/ Pages : 3,012 / 24