Canadian Cancer Society Prevention Week Survey

Toronto, ON - The Canadian Cancer Society Prevention Week survey conducted by Ipsos Reid indicates that some Ontarians may not be doing their best when it comes to cancer prevention.

• Two in ten (19%) Ontarians smoke tobacco products a couple (or more) times a week;
• More than four in ten (44%) Ontarians do not regularly eat 5-10 servings of fruit and vegetables per day;
• Half (49%) of Ontarians do not exercise at least 30 minutes per day, 4-5 days a week; and,
• Approximately half (53%) of Ontarians do not discuss cancer screening tests with their doctor. This despite the fact that 91% Ontarians know that screening tests can detect cancers even at early stages.

The survey also reveals that a majority of Ontarians agree with each of five proposed things that the Ontario government can do to help prevent cancer, and essentially lower the incidence of cancer.

1. Virtually all (95%) Ontarians agree that "Proper nutrition and healthy eating should be compulsory for all children to learn at school". In fact, 78% "strongly agree" with this statement.
2. Eighty-five percent of Ontarians agree that "Educating people on how to reduce their risk of cancer should be a top priority for the Ontario government", with approximately half (47%) who "strongly agree".
3. Eight in ten (79%) Ontarians agree that "The amount of time children participate in physical education at school should be increased, even if it means taking time away from other subjects", with 51% who "strongly agree".
4. Seven in ten (69%) Ontarians agree with the statement: "The Ontario government should discourage smokers from smoking through regulation such as raising tobacco taxes", with 49% who "strongly agree".
5. Six in ten (62%) Ontarians agree that "The Ontario government should increase spending on the prevention of cancer even if it means redirecting money from other areas of healthcare" (22% "strongly agree", 40% "somewhat agree").

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid/Canadian Cancer Society poll conducted from March 14-16 and 21-23, 2006. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1000 adult residents of Ontario was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 1773.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Ontario population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900
[email protected]

Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader and the country's leading provider of public opinion research. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos-Reid employs more than 300 researcher professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in Canada, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and on-line panels. Ipsos Reid's Canadian marketing research and public affairs practices are staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, offering the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada - including the Ipsos Trend Report, the leading source of public opinion in the country - all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2005, Ipsos generated global revenues of Euro 717.8 million ($853.8 million U.S.). Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos' offerings and capabilities.

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.