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December 2, 2004
Sushi Ban to come to an end
Finally, common sense has prevailed in Dalton McGuinty's government. After a more than a month of consultation about a policy the government should have consulted on in the first place, the McGuinty government and its hand picked Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Sheela Basrur, will be rescinding the Province's ban on fresh sushi.
The decision marks an about-face for Dr. Basrur in particular. She and her public health minions said in September that there was a lot of international evidence of people getting seriously ill from eating sushi. But yesterday, Dr Basrur had changed her tune.
"At the end of the day, the message for consumers is that the sushi and sashimi served in restaurants and large grocery stores is safe to eat," she said.
There are obviously risks to eat fresh sushi, just as there are risks to hopping in the shower every morning. The problem here was that the government acted without consulting those who know how sushi is prepared and clearly overstated the risk despite the numerous infectious disease specialists who thought the new rules were overkill.
But thinking about it in context, the ban made sense to the government. When it campaigned on a plan to ban smoking, it was lauded. When it announced a ban on Pit Bulls, it was cheered. When it talks about its ban on junk food in schools, it is praised. To the Liberal mind, I guess the equation became simple: Bans are good.
While they didn't get away with this one, I doubt it will change the pattern that has established the McGuinty Government as the most interventionist Ontario Government in more than 80 years. This government's decisions to reach into people's private lives to prevent them from engaging in activities it considers dangerous rivals the decision of the United Farmers of Ontario Government of the early 1920s banned the sale of alcoholic beverages.
Whether it realizes it or not, this government is trying to substitute its judgment for that its citizens. I find that and its implications very disturbing.
Further Reading:
Ontario to scrap rule banning fresh sushi (CTV News)
Frozen-sushi rule about to melt (Toronto Star)
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Posted by maxthecat on December 2, 2004 at 08:47 AM
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