CANADA – The government of Canada has introduced mandatory health warnings on tobacco use to be printed on individual cigarettes from August this year, becoming the first country to target smoking reduction through advertisements on cigarette filters.
The regulations announced on World No Tobacco Day (May 31) will be implemented through a phased approach over the next year, the federal government said.
“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,” stated Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos in a news release.
“This innovative measure will be accompanied by enhanced warnings on the package exterior, and health messages on the package interior that are internationally unique. The new regulations deserve strong support.”
As part of the new regulations, the government said it will require labels on the tipping paper, which is the outermost paper of the filter section, of individual cigarettes, little cigars, tubes, along with other tobacco products. The labels will be written in English and French.
King-size cigarettes are set to be the first to feature the warnings and will be sold by Canadian retailers 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 said the new regulations are part of its strategy to reach a target of less than five percent tobacco use in the country by 2035.
Tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of illness and premature death in Canada, killing approximately 48,000 Canadians annually, according to the Canadian government.
The new measure will make health warnings “virtually unavoidable” and provide a “real and startling reminder” of the health consequences of smoking, asserts Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett.
The labels include messages like “Poison in every puff,” “Cigarettes cause cancer” and “Tobacco smoke harms children.”
The new regulation has so far been welcomed by the Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Lung Association and Heart & Stroke Foundation.
In addition, the three national health organizations issued an open letter, calling on Canada’s premiers to push for initiatives to reduce smoking during settlement negotiations with major tobacco companies.
“It’s going to mean that there’s a warning with every cigarette, every puff, it’s going to be there during every smoke break,” Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst with the Canadian Cancer Society.
Other measures the government is taking include strengthening and updating health-related messages on tobacco product packages, extending the requirement for health-related messaging to all tobacco product packages, and implementing the periodic rotation of messages.
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