TThe tipping paper on individual cigarettes, cigars, tubes and other tobacco products will be labeled with messages including, “Cigarettes cause cancer”, “Cigarettes damage your organs”, “Tobacco smoke harms children” and “Poison in every puff,” making it virtually impossible to avoid the warnings. — AFP photo
TORONTO (June 1): Canada will become the first country to add new warning labels on individual cigarettes to deter smokers, encourage quitting and reduce smoking-related deaths, Health Canada said Wednesday.
“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,” Anadolu Agency reported Health Canada as saying in a statement.
The announcement came on World No Tobacco Day and the new practice is believed to have a significant effect on reducing smoking.
The tipping paper on individual cigarettes, cigars, tubes and other tobacco products will be labeled with messages including, “Cigarettes cause cancer”, “Cigarettes damage your organs”, “Tobacco smoke harms children” and “Poison in every puff,” making it virtually impossible to avoid the warnings.
The regulations will support Canada’s Tobacco Strategy and its target of reaching less than 5% tobacco use by 2035, said Health Canada.
By the end of April 2024, all retailers will carry tobacco product packages that feature the new messages.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises May 31 as World No Tobacco Day, an opportunity to raise awareness of the harm tobacco causes to health and the environment, as well as to promote a healthy lifestyle. – Bernama