In world first, each cigarette will get a warning label in Canada
- The messaging will include lines such as ‘poison in every puff’ and ‘tobacco smoke harms children’
- In 2000, Canada became the first country to order graphic warnings on packs of cigarettes
Canada will soon become the first country in the world where warning labels must appear on individual cigarettes.
The move was first announced last year by Health Canada and is aimed at helping people quit the habit.
The regulations take effect August 1 and will be phased in. King-size cigarettes will be the first to feature the warnings and will be sold in stores 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.
“This bold step will make health warning messages virtually unavoidable,” Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett said Wednesday.
The warnings – in English and French – include “poison in every puff”, “tobacco smoke harms children” and “cigarettes cause impotence”.
Health Canada said the strategy aims to reduce tobacco use below 5 per cent by 2035. New regulations also strengthen health-related graphic images displayed on packages of tobacco.