New regulations in Canada require each cigarette sold in the country to carry an individual health warning stating that “cigarettes cause impotence” and cancer, and that there is “poison in every puff.” These rules, which came into effect on Tuesday, are a pioneering step and the first of their kind in the world.
Stores are expected to start selling king-size cigarettes with the new individual health labels within a year, followed by regular-size cigarettes in early 2025. The Canadian government aims to make the warning labels “virtually unavoidable” and accompany them with updated graphic images on the cigarette packages to serve as a stark reminder of the severe health consequences of smoking.
Former addictions minister Carolyn Bennett stated that some young people, who are more susceptible to tobacco dependence, start smoking after being given a single cigarette without health warnings rather than purchasing a pack with such labels.
Canada has been proactive in raising awareness about the health hazards linked to tobacco use. In 2000, it became the first country to mandate graphic warnings on cigarette packs, featuring images of diseased hearts and lungs, as a measure to discourage smoking.
Despite a downward trend in smoking over the past two decades, tobacco use still claims the lives of 48,000 Canadians each year, and nearly half of the country’s healthcare expenses are associated with substance use.
The Canadian government has set ambitious goals to further reduce the number of smokers in the country to only five percent of the population, which is around two million people, by 2035. Currently, approximately 13 percent of the population are smokers.
By implementing these stringent regulations and health warnings on individual cigarettes, Canada aims to drive down smoking rates and protect public health, particularly among vulnerable youth who may be tempted to start smoking without being fully aware of the dangers associated with tobacco use.
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