The proposal was welcomed by smoking cessation experts as an important step towards 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 Addiction Minister Caroline Bennett said on Friday.
“Poison in every suction” is one of the proposed warnings to appear on individual cigarettes.
This move will make Canada the first country in the world to introduce warning labels on individual cigarettes, a move welcomed by smoking cessation experts as an important step towards reducing tobacco use in Canada.
“This kind of warning is clearly attracting attention and will reinforce people’s decision to do something about their nicotine addiction,” said Andrew Pipe, a clinician at the University of Ottawa’s Heart Institute and former chairman of the Heart and Heart Foundation. stroke.
Putting a warning on individual cigarettes is also an important way to ensure that young people see the message, as they often start by borrowing a cigarette from an older brother or friend and may not see graphic warning labels on the packaging, Rob Cunningham said. , senior political analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society.
“These messages will reach every smoker with every breath,” Mr Cunningham said.
Other changes proposed by the government include new graphic warning labels on packaging, which will be changed over time to maintain their novelty and effectiveness, and a new warning label on the side of the packaging containing information on toxic ingredients in cigarettes.
The new federal proposals are open for a consultation period, after which they may be amended to reflect what has been heard during that period. The final rules are expected to be published early next year.
Canada was the first country to introduce graphic warning labels on cigarette packaging in 2001. In 2019, the federal government introduced new rules on ordinary packaging that prohibit tobacco companies from using logos, photos or colors of brands on packaging. of cigarettes.
Smoking rates have declined significantly in recent decades, mainly due to warning labels and a series of other public health measures and awareness-raising campaigns. According to Canadian statistics, current levels of smoking were 13 percent in 2020, the lowest rate ever reported. In 1965, the smoking rate was about 50%.
But tobacco remains the 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 live with debilitating chronic diseases.
So more work needs to be done, Dr Pipe said, such as attempts to recoup healthcare costs from the tobacco industry.
Mr Cunningham said the government should continue this work by creating a comprehensive tobacco control strategy, which could include additional restrictions on tobacco promotion and higher taxes, among other measures.
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