SUPPORT all efforts to discourage smoking in work places, public buildings and all forms of public transportation, and ask local congregations to encourage and support such efforts in their communities;

The termination of the boycott was reported, and the action of the Division in October 1984 communicated. The Executive of General Council agreed to: 1 ENDORSE the International Nestle Boycott Committee (INBC) to terminate the current boycott of Nestle; 2 CELEBRATE the success of this seven-year campaign to change a major multinational company’s aggressive practices in marketing infant formula in the Third World, which contributed to severe malnutrition for many infants;

WHEREAS the use of illicit drugs continues to be a serious problem of epidemic proportions among our youth; and WHEREAS marijuana and the other cannabis products are the major entry drugs into the drug culture and drug dependence;

The issue here is the moral issue of loving our neighbour as ourselves, recognizing our common humanity; education in the history of religions is needed by any responsible person in our society, in order to combat the ignorance that feeds racism, prejudice and bigotry.  This petition is not advocating any particular theology of religion or a missiology of any kind.  It is simply recognizing that knowledge of other religious traditions is necessary for peace and reconciliation in the world.

The General Council called on the governments of Canada (provincial and federal) to enact immediately legislation banning all alcohol advertising through the media; and, further, to challenge the members of the church to examine their own use of alcoholic beverages. Keywords: Alcohol, Liquor, Advertising

As Christians we wish to affirm the sanctity of human life, born or unborn. That life is much more that physical existence...

General Council requests the federal government, through the Minister of Health and the Minister of Consumer Affairs and the provincial governments through the appropriate ministers, to take steps to add a warning on all alcoholic beverage bottles of the potential danger of alcohol to unborn babies.

God through incarnation in Jesus Christ has affirmed that in our humanity we should “have life and have it abundantly”-that we are created in God’s image. Nurtured by Christ’s spirit and strengthened by God’s means of grace, we are given confidence to cope with the complexities of living. In this way we develop a healthy dependency upon our own inner resources and also upon loving and supportive human relationships. When confidence in God, others and ourselves is seriously eroded we tend to become susceptible to pressures and substances that interfere with the development of our wholeness.

THAT the United Church of Canada discourage the use of tobacco products by promoting awareness as to the health risks through creative use of educational materials available from other sources.

The Division of Mission in Canada continue to support projects concerned with the rehabilitation of alcoholics, or action that may have the effect of reducing the over-consumption and abuse of beverage alcohol. Keywords: Alcohol, Liquor, Alcoholism, Addiction, Misuse