It is said that Canada has been one of the first few countries to pass laws against smoking in public places. The Canadian government has spent millions of dollars for an intensive Stop Smoking Canada campaign, and these laws have been met both with praise and disapproval.

Smokers aren't exactly the ones crying foul against these laws - they are actually the business owners who are terribly hurt financially by the stepped-up Stop Smoking Canada campaign.

To stop smoking in Canada, sacrifices have to be made

Business owners in the hospitality industry can do nothing but scratch their heads in frustration. Because of the stop smoking Canada movement, they have lost nearly 8 million dollars due to dwindling customers. Due to the domino effect, workers are unexpectedly laid off and other companies are forced to close shop.

Verily, even bingo houses which are usually packed find it difficult to attract customers who normally smoke while playing a bingo game. For them, bingo and smoking go hand in hand as their form of relaxation.

Pub owners in Edmonton have been reporting huge losses daily due to the stop smoking Canada move. Who knows, because of the smoking ban in these establishments, people may not actually be curbing their nicotine cravings but are instead simply enjoying their drink in a place where they can smoke freely - at home.

Everywhere in Canada, big club owners who used to enjoy humongous sales have been invariably hurt by the stop smoking Canada rules. Several pubs have already folded up in Ottawa and those that still stand are reportedly just getting by. It can be remembered that the Pub and Bar Coalition (PUBCO) of Ontario released a report showing a clear 10.5% decline in beer sales in the first 10 months of the ban.

This figure, they claimed, does not even include the losses in food and liquor sales, entertainment, and vending revenues. But although these are unwelcome scenarios for the business owners, stop smoking Canada advocates still believe that they are doing a great service for Canadians, largely because Canada has one of the highest mortality rates due to smoking.

Stop smoking Canada is also serious about getting their message across to as many Canadians as possible because they know that nicotine is a very addictive substance and is quite difficult to give up. In fact, they deliberately use photos of extremely damaged internal organs to discourage the millions of smokers in their country from indulging in the habit.

The advocacy has been in place a couple of years after the turn of the century, and Canadians have been able to make the necessary adjustments.

Despite the birthing pains, business owners have also learned to make up for the ban with good service, and customers who desire a smoke-free environment have been frequenting their spots. Today, Canada has one of the lowest levels of smokers in the world, thanks to the stop smoking Canada initiative.