2023-08-01 00:01:39
A new set of Health Canada regulations that require warning labels on individual cigarettes are set to come into effect on Tuesday. This decision, announced earlier this year, makes Canada the first country in the world to implement such measures aimed at convincing smokers to quit the habit and dissuading potential smokers from starting to smoke.
The wording on each cigarette, written in French and English on the paper around the filter, includes warnings such as that tobacco harms children, damages organs, causes impotence and causes different types of cancer. “Poison in every puff,” said one.
Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society, predicts the labels will deter teens prone to the habit and push nicotine-dependent adults to quit smoking. “For young people who experience [le tabac] taking a cigarette from a friend means they will see the warnings on the cigarettes, even if they don’t see the packaging. Often it is the children who are urging their parents to stop smoking, and this will provide new information and new messages,” according to Mr Cunningham.
“Dozens of studies in Canada and elsewhere show the effectiveness of printing warnings on every cigarette,” he added.
Smoking continues to be one of Canada’s most significant public health issues and is the leading preventable cause of illness and premature death in the country, the Minister wrote in a May 31 statement. of Health at the time, Jean-Yves Duclos, when he announced the new warnings.
Tobacco , promotion and sponsorship has been banned in Canada and warnings on cigarette packages have been around since 1972. In 2001, Canada became the first country to require tobacco companies to print warnings illustrated on the outside of cigarette packs and to include inserts with health promotion messages. More than 130 countries have followed suit, according to the Canadian Cancer Society.
However, not all smokers welcome the increasing warnings. “I don’t think it will change much. A lot of people will continue to smoke,” according to Giovany Lincourt. “When I see a photo of a black lung, it strikes me, but I continue anyway because it’s a habit. »
The 40-year-old Montrealer, who tasted his first cigarette aged 16, said even higher taxes would be more of a deterrent. A pack of 25 cigarettes generally costs between $11 and $16, depending on the brand and the province. “It hurts the wallet, because it costs $400 to $500 a month. »
The skeptical industry
Organizations funded by tobacco companies opposed the push for stronger messages, including the last step.
The National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco warned in June that cheaper, colorful black market packages without health warnings — federal rules prohibit packages that include colors or trademarks — are attracting young smokers and channeling more money going to organized crime. Much of the coalition’s funding comes from the Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers Council, made up of three of the largest cigarette companies operating in Canada: Rothmans Benson & Hedges, Imperial Tobacco Canada and JTI-Macdonald Corp.
While big tax hikes or outright bans on sales would indeed benefit the black market, gradual price increases and more visible messaging can lower smoking rates, according to Rob Cunningham. “The only real reason they can object to something is because it’s going to lead to reduced sales — and that’s exactly the point,” he said of the makers.
Long cigarettes (king size) will be the first to display the warnings and will be sold in stores by the end of July 2024, followed by full-size cigarettes and little cigars by the end of April 2025, Health Canada said. The words “tobacco smoke harms children” and “cigarettes cause cancer” will be among the first six messages. A second set of six should be printed on cigarettes in 2026.
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