Catchy warnings such as "poison in every puff" and "tobacco harms children" will appear on every cigarette stick in Canada soon. Photo credit: Health Canada
Canada will be the first country in the world to feature health warnings on individual cigarettes when new regulations come into effect on August 1 this year.
In a news release, Canadian health officials said, “The new Tobacco Products Appearance, Packaging and Labelling Regulations will be part of the Government of Canada's continued efforts to help adults who smoke to quit, to protect youth and non-tobacco users from nicotine addiction, and to further reduce the appeal of tobacco.”
Officials say labelling the tipping paper of individual cigarettes, little cigars, tubes, and other tobacco products will make it “virtually impossible” to avoid health warnings, which will be in English and French and include phrases such as "poison in every puff," "tobacco smoke harms children" and "cigarettes cause impotence."
“The requirement for a health warning directly on every cigarette is a world precedent setting measure that will reach every person who smokes with every puff,” said Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst, Canadian Cancer Society.
The new regulations will be implemented through a phased approach that will see most measures on the Canadian market within the year. Retailers will carry tobacco product packages that feature the new health-related messages by the end of April 2024. King-size cigarettes will be the first to feature the individual health warnings and will be sold by retailers in Canada by the end of July 2024, followed by regular size cigarettes and little cigars with tipping paper, and tubes, by the end of April 2025.
The government believes the new regulations will support Canada's Tobacco Strategy and its target of reaching less than 5% tobacco use by 2035.