The proposal was applauded by smoking cessation experts as a major step toward reducing tobacco use in Canada. JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP / Getty Images
Tobacco companies will be forced to add warning labels to individual cigarettes under a new proposal designed to discourage smoking, Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett announced on Friday.
“Poison in every puff” is one of the proposed warnings for individual cigarettes.
The move would make Canada the first country in the world to require warning labels on individual cigarettes, a measure applauded by smoking cessation experts as a major step toward reducing tobacco use in Canada.
“This kind of warning is obviously eye-catching and will reinforce people’s determination to do something about their nicotine addiction,” said Andrew Pipe, a clinical scientist at the University of the Heart Institute. ‘Ottawa and former president of the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Putting a warning on individual cigarettes is also an important way to make sure young people see the message, as they often start by borrowing a cigarette from an older sibling and may not see graphic warning labels on packages, Rob Robningning said. senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society.
“These messages will reach all smokers with every puff,” Mr. Cunningham.
Other changes proposed by the government include new graphic warning labels on the packages that would rotate over time to maintain their novelty and effectiveness, and a new warning label next to the packages that contain information on the toxic ingredients of cigarettes.
The new federal proposals are open to a consultation period, after which they could be modified to reflect what was heard during that period. The final regulation is expected to be published early next year.
Canada was the first country to introduce graphic warning labels on cigarette packs in 2001. In 2019, the federal government also enacted new natural packaging rules, which prohibit tobacco companies from using logos. , branded images or colors on cigarette packs.
Smoking rates have fallen sharply in recent decades, largely due to warning labels and a number of other public health measures and awareness campaigns. According to Statistics Canada, current smoking rates were 13% in 2020, the lowest rate ever reported. In 1965, the smoking rate was around 50 percent.
But tobacco remains a leading cause of death, with nearly 50,000 Canadians dying each year as a result of a disease caused by smoking. And tens of thousands of others are living with debilitating chronic illnesses.
So more work needs to be done, Dr. Pipe said, such as trying to recoup the health costs of the tobacco industry.
Mr. Cunningham said the government should continue this work, creating a comprehensive tobacco control strategy that could include more limits on tobacco promotion and higher taxes, among other measures.
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