News Release
March 25, 2019

Today, Toronto Public Health has launched a new public education campaign to promote safe and responsible cannabis use. Targeted toward parents and caregivers, the campaign reminds people to safely store cannabis in a locked area and out of reach of children.
There are immediate and long-term health concerns with consuming cannabis around children. It is safest not to smoke or vaporize cannabis inside the home or when children are present. To protect a child’s health and well-being, parents and caregivers should make sure cannabis is safely stored, and avoid consuming cannabis when caring for children.  
Specific tips include:
• storing all cannabis products in a locked area and in child-resistant packaging, and
• ensuring children cannot see the cannabis or reach the locked area.
If you think a child has consumed any form of cannabis, get medical help right away. Call Ontario Poison Centre at 1-800-268-9017 or call 911 immediately.
More information on cannabis and the new public education campaign is available at http://www.toronto.ca/cannabis.
Quotes
“We’re excited to launch this new public education campaign to promote responsible use for people that consume cannabis. We know that cannabis is not a benign substance and evidence shows there are a range of potential health harms. This campaign uses a lighthearted and creative approach to promote an important message.
“We know that kids get into everything. This is why campaigns like this are so important to remind parents and caregivers that if they are intending to use cannabis, they should safely store their cannabis in a locked area and out of reach of children.”
– Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto Medical Officer of Health
“This public education campaign on cannabis by Toronto Public Health is critically important. While legalizing cannabis is long overdue, we must make sure we educate the public on the potential negative impacts, particularly for young children. That’s a public health approach to legalization.”
– Councillor Joe Cressy (Ward 10 Spadina-Fort York), Toronto Board of Health Chair
Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of more than 2.9 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.

Lisa Liu
Toronto Public Health
416-338-1793