Sensible and Healthy Initiative

Go Healthy is a website about healthy living for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. It offers information on what's the best to eat, the benefits of certain foods like fibre, fruits and vegetables, and links to excellent resources like Dietitians.ca. Encouraging a healthier and more active lifestyle is the goal. The benefits are immediate and long term for individuals and also our health care system. There is a fact quiz there with one question that asks,
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador makes money on tobacco. true or false      Answer: False

In 2005/06, Government received about $116 million in tobacco taxes (Budget 2006). According to the Canadian Costs of Substance Abuse report of 2002, tobacco use costs this province about $363 million in health care every year. This does not include other costs like enforcement of tobacco control laws, public awareness, loss of worker productivity, and property damage due to fire. Worst of all, tobacco costs this province about 680 lives every year, including many non-smokers affected by second-hand smoke.

Well known province personalities have been and will be pitching the concept and site on tv ads. For a province that has the highest rate of obesity in the country, it's time for this, which should have been launched years ago. Well it's in the right direction anyway. Gotta go, need to pick up some psyllium fibre, and a veggie tray.