Here's what the new health warnings on individual cigarettes will look like
The next time you pop out for a pack of cigarettes, your preferred brand will likely look extremely different.
Starting Tuesday, August 1, a new federal regulation will make Canada the first country to require health warnings to be printed on individual cigarettes. The move is part of the government’s efforts to help adults quit smoking and reduce the appeal of tobacco.
“Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Canada, and these important new measures will protect youth and support current smokers in their efforts to quit,” said Doug Roth, CEO of the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada
The changes will be implemented in phases starting this week and will first appear on king-size cigarettes. You’ll soon start to see the new warnings on tipping paper, cigarette tubes, and other tobacco products. The whole point is to make it “virtually impossible to avoid health warnings altogether.”
“Health-related messages on tobacco product packaging continue to be recognized as one of the best approaches to informing people in Canada of the health hazards of tobacco use,” states a Government of Canada release.
Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada
The health warnings will be updated with the most recent science and research. And in order to “enhance the novelty and relevance of the messages,” messages on the products and packages will be on rotation on a pre-determined schedule.
“The health and economic costs associated with tobacco use in Canada were estimated at $12.3 billion in 2017, with direct health care costs of $6.1 billion,” the release states.
Health Canada aims to reduce tobacco use by 5% by 2035.
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