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14) What past research has been done this subject?



15) What current special interest groups exist that are concerned about this problem?

      Health organizations and citizens are concerned with the issue of having a tobacco company as a sponsor. Another special interest group would be the local residents of Vancouver, as they are directlly affected by the Symphony of Fire. The local restaurants, vendors, clubs, and coffee shops would also be concerned because their profits will be affected.

16) Who would be happy to see your results and conclusions?

       I think the public, health organizations, the media, the City of Vancouver, local residents and businesses, the Vancouver Police and my Economics Professor would be interested in the results and conclusions that I will draw after a thorough investigation.

17) What data is currently available that is useful?

       The newspapers have had several articles on the Benson and Hedges Symphony of Fire, which provides various facts and opinions from various perspectives. I will also be in contact with the Vancouver Health Board, who will have data on the smoking and the affects of advertisements from tobacco companies. The City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Police Force will also have data on what is actually involved in organizing community control during these public events. Lastly, the local businesses will have the numbers that will be required to determine whether or not profits are actually generated during the fireworks.

18) What are the expected funds from Federal, Provincial, Local governments, business, residents, and non-residents that could be used to solve the problem?

19) Is this a problem that can solved by the User-Pays principle or will government funds be required?

       One newspaper article has suggested that perhaps an admission fee be charged at the hot spots such as English Bay to cover the costs of the fireworks, however this would be difficult to enforce because there are plenty of other spots that people could go to for free. Government funds will not necessarily be required, because alternative sponors could be found.

20) Will any government make money if the problem is solved?

       This issue is more of a local concern rather that of the government. The only concern that would be of the governments is to provide the necessary funding for smoking prevention. However, the goverment would not directly be profiting from the resolution of this problem.

21) Is any politcians job at risk because of this problem?

       No.

22) How have other communities solved similar problems?

       As this time, I am not aware of any similar problems that other communities have been confronted with.

23) Can the private sector solve this problem without any government help?

       If a member or group of the private sector was willing to sponsor the Symphony of Fire, it would end the controversy over having a tobacco company sponsor the fireworks.

24) Can the government simply pass laws to solve the problem? Would that be a good solution?

       I think involving the government in this situation would make matters only worse, because the main issue is the fact that a tobacco company is sponsoring a local event. The government would not want to get involved with this because the tobacco industry is obviously a powerful component in the economy. The only thing that the government can really do is to provide funding. It is this funding that is necessary to implement educational programs that can be used to educate the public about smoking hazards and to raise awareness among targeted children, as they can be susceptible to the advertisements of tobacco companies.