PETITION URGING THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA TO CEASE ALL FINANCIAL TIES WITH THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY

Whereas tobacco is the leading avoidable cause of premature death, claiming the lives of 37,000 Canadians annually;

And whereas tobacco companies have established relationships with academic institutions in an effort to help promote tobacco use, to distort the science, and create diversions, regarding the harmful nature of tobacco;

And whereas tobacco companies are deliberately targeting youth and young adults;

And whereas it has been identified that the University of Alberta has accepted approximately $1 million in funding from tobacco companies in recent years;

And whereas the University of Alberta currently has invested $2 million in tobacco company stocks;

And whereas the Board of Governors has ruled that the Students Union cannot accept tobacco industry funding thereby creating an unacceptable double-standard;

And whereas the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, the Faculty of Nursing and the School of Public Health have all recently voted to eliminate acceptance of tobacco industry funding,;

And whereas a number of Canadian universities have severed financial ties with the tobacco industry including the University of Lethbridge, the University of Toronto, and McGill University;

And whereas the University of Albertas financial ties with the tobacco industry are compromising the integrity of the institution, its faculty and its students,

Therefore, we hereby petition the Board of Governors to cease all direct and indirect financial ties, including but not limited to donations, consultation, research funding, and gifts, with tobacco companies and any related corporate entities: