Canada will become the first country in the world to require that a warning be printed on every cigarette.
This would take Canada a step further than explicit photo warnings on tobacco product packaging — a Canadian policy that started an international trend when it was introduced two decades ago.
“We have to respond to the fear that these messages have lost their novelty, and to some extent we are concerned that they have also lost their impact,” Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett said on Friday during of a press conference.
“Adding public health warnings on individual tobacco products will help ensure that these critical messages reach people, including young people who often access cigarettes one at a time in social situations, bypassing information printed on a packet,” she added.
A consultation period for the proposed change is due to begin on Saturday, and the government expects the changes to come into effect in the second half of 2023.
Although the exact message printed on the cigarettes could still change, Ms Bennett said the current proposal is: “Poison in every puff”.
Ms Bennett also revealed expanded warnings for cigarette packs which include a longer list of the health effects of smoking.
Canada has required photo warnings since the turn of the millennium, but the images have not been updated for a decade.
Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society, said he hopes warnings printed directly on cigarettes will become popular internationally, just as on-pack warnings have.
“It will set a global precedent,” Mr Cunningham said, saying no other country had implemented such regulations. He hopes the warning will make a real difference.
“It’s a warning you just can’t ignore,” Cunningham said. It will reach every smoker, with every puff. »
The Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control also applauds the federal government’s regulatory proposal.
“Overall, the proposed new warnings are relevant, impactful and effective,” spokesperson Flory Doucas said in a statement.
“More than a billion warnings circulate in Canada during a year. The public education brought about by these messages is immense,” argued Ms. Doucas.
The Coalition, however, wants Ms. Bennett to “correct the situation with regard to other pending regulatory projects, including the one proposed last June concerning the flavoring of vaping products which exempts mint and menthol – two flavors extremely popular among young people. “.