Ottawa: Amid concerns over the impact of photo warnings on tobacco packages, Canada is poised to become the first country in the world to impose a written warning on every cigarette. The move follows Canada’s mandate to include graphic photo warnings on the packaging of tobacco products, a policy that launched an international trend two decades ago, according to an Associated Press report.Also read – Canada confirms 112 cases of monkeypox; NACI recommends the use of Imvamune vaccine for immunization
The agency quoted Caroline Bennett, Minister for Mental Health and Addiction, as saying, “We need to address the concerns that these messages may lose their novelty, and to some extent we are concerned that they may lose their impact.” Addiction Minister Caroline Bennett was quoted as saying. A news conference on Friday. Also read – Canada to tighten work permit rules from next year: what that means for Indian students
“Adding health warnings to individual tobacco products will help ensure that these essential messages reach people, including young people who often use cigarettes at one time in social situations, setting aside the information printed on the package.” Also read – Biden will meet with allies in Germany, Spain amid the Ukraine war
The consultation period for the proposed change was set to begin on Saturday, and the government anticipated the changes to take effect in late 2023. While the specific message printed on cigarettes may change, Bennett said the current proposal is: “Poison in every puff.”
Bennett also issued detailed warnings for cigarette packages, including a long list of health effects of smoking, including stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, diabetes and peripheral vascular disease.
Canada has needed photo warnings since the turn of the millennium, but the images have not been updated in over a decade.
Smoking rates have been steadily declining over the years. Statistics Canada’s latest data, released last month, shows that 10% of Canadians report smoking regularly. The government wants to halve this rate by 2035.
Statken noted that approximately 11% of Canadians aged 20 and over are currently reported to be smokers, compared to only 4% of people aged 15 to 19.
(With inputs from the Associated Press)
