Canada to put health warning labels directly on cigarettes, little cigars in world first

[Cigar Surgeon]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canada-cigarette-warning-labels-1.6860301

Canada to put health warning labels directly on cigarettes in world first

New cigarette packaging restrictions and warning images will also be introduced

 

Adam Miller · CBC News · Posted: May 31, 2023 9:05 AM MDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Health Canada has announced new warning labels to be printed directly on cigarettes in an effort to deter new smokers, encourage quitting and reduce tobacco-related deaths. (Submitted/Health Canada)

Health Canada has announced new warning labels to be printed directly on cigarettes in an effort to deter new smokers, encourage quitting and reduce tobacco-related deaths, in a world first that experts hope will have a significant impact. 

There will be multiple sets of six warnings on the cigarettes themselves that will change in rotation with messages like: "Cigarettes cause cancer," "Tobacco smoke harms children" and "Poison in every puff." 

Health Canada will also include new health warnings on cigarette packaging, taking up a minimum of 75 per cent of the main display area of the package, and will be able to update the content of the warnings without having to change the regulations. 

"Having a warning on every cigarette sold in Canada is a world precedent-setting measure," said Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society.

"The health warning is going to be there during every smoke break, and for youth who experiment by borrowing a cigarette from a friend, they'll have exposure to the health warning there as well. I expect that many countries internationally will follow this Canadian world first."

Health Canada's new cigarette-labelling regulations come into effect starting Aug. 1. (Health Canada)

The regulations will begin to come into effect as of Aug. 1. Tobacco companies will be required to implement the first sets of restrictions for retail on king size cigarettes (83-85 millimetres in length) by July 31, 2024, and on regular size cigarettes (70-73 millimetres in length) by April 30, 2025.

A new round of 14 picture warnings will also be required to appear on the outside of cigarette packaging by April 30, 2024, with a second new set of 14 picture warnings to appear two years later.

There will also be updated messages on the inside of cigarette packages required at retail stores by April 30, 2024. The new and finalized regulations announced Wednesday were previously proposed in June 2022 as a draft regulation.

Canada aims to hit less than 5% tobacco use

The federal government's decision was announced on Wednesday on what is also World No Tobacco Day by the Associate Minister of Health and Minister for Mental Health and Addictions Carolyn Bennett, and is part of Canada's Tobacco Strategy that aims to achieve less than five per cent tobacco use by 2035.

"Tobacco use continues to kill 48,000 Canadians each year. We are taking action by being the first country in the world to label individual cigarettes with health warning messages," Bennett said in a news statement.

"This bold step will make health warning messages virtually unavoidable, and together with updated graphic images displayed on the package, will provide a real and startling reminder of the health consequences of smoking." 

Health Canada said the health and economic costs associated with tobacco use in Canada were estimated at $12.3 billion in 2017, with direct costs to the health-care system of $6.1 billion.

While tobacco prevalence in Canada is currently estimated at 13 per cent nationally, Health Canada said the health-care costs due to tobacco use represent 47 per cent of all health-care costs associated with substance use in Canada.

[SCgarman]

I find it ironic that Canada is doing all it can to stamp out all forms of tobacco use, yet promote the general population to purchase and consume cannabis products. 

[Puros Y Vino]

34 minutes ago, SCgarman said:

I find it ironic that Canada is doing all it can to stamp out all forms of tobacco use, yet promote the general population to purchase and consume cannabis products. 

Yup.  "Yay we're curbing tobacco consumption" while we collect huge tax revenues. Cannabis is going to be the new tax cash cow for Canadian gov't.  Side benefit is that it leaves a lot more constituents in a dopey state.  Many of which who would vote for whoever keeps it legal.

[BrightonCorgi]

Next will be each cigarette is dipped in Strychnine just to show how dangerous smoking can be.

[SCgarman]

45 minutes ago, Puros Y Vino said:

Yup.  "Yay we're curbing tobacco consumption" while we collect huge tax revenues. Cannabis is going to be the new tax cash cow for Canadian gov't.  Side benefit is that it leaves a lot more constituents in a dopey state.  Many of which who would vote for whoever keeps it legal.

Just curious what the employers in Canada think of/tolerate Cannabis usage with employees? Is there tolerance/no tolerance or is it up to the employer's discretion? My wife here in USA holds a high clearance for her job, and any Cannabis "dabbling" by her, I or anyone in the household would likely end in termination and her clearance revoked. 

[Hammer Smokin']

my employer gives me $600 a year to buy weed. 

(seriously)

weed is included in our wellness plans. 

living in a country where one could be fired because someone else in the household smokes weed.....sounds not like a practice from the country that prides themselves with their level of freedom. 

curious, SCgarman, does your wifes job also prohibit you from eating meat? drinking alcohol? anything else random? or just weed? if they let her, and others in her house hold drink alcohol, but not partake (or in your words, dabble), then well, guess that just shows the hypocrisy of the employer. 

[El Presidente]

24 minutes ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

my employer gives me $600 a year to buy weed. 

(seriously)

weed is included in our wellness plans. 

.....don't tell my staff 

 

1 hour ago, SCgarman said:

My wife here in USA holds a high clearance for her job, and any Cannabis "dabbling" by her, I or anyone in the household would likely end in termination and her clearance revoked. 

I would love to be her lawyer if she got fired because someone else in the houshold smoked cannabis. 

 

[Cairo]

3 hours ago, Cigar Surgeon said:

World No Tobacco Day

Is there any other product on the planet that rates its own day like that?

There is not even a "No Poison Day".

[BrightonCorgi]

59 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

I would love to be her lawyer if she got fired because someone else in the houshold smoked cannabis.

She would have to fail a urine lab test for cannabis.  Whether 2nd hand smoke is enough to trigger that threshold is another conversation.  Some clearances that involve more spying on household and interviews with friends or neighbors may infer something that is not true.  There are different levels of security clearances.  Even the minimum ones have now required lab screens for last 20 years. 

Not only that; one attests under federal law that they have not consumed anything illegal in X many years...

[SCgarman]

9 hours ago, El Presidente said:

.....don't tell my staff 

I would love to be her lawyer if she got fired because someone else in the household smoked cannabis.

FWIW, nobody in my household smokes anything. Other than myself with cigar hobby. So no worries there. And hypothetically she could fail a drug test even if she never directly smoked Cannabis. I believe inhaling second hand "may" cause a failure in a drug test. Having a high clearance for being a US government contractor has it's requirements. And she is paid a very generous salary for that clearance and her skill set. 

[Hammer Smokin']

3 hours ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

curious, SCgarman, does your wifes job also prohibit you from eating meat? drinking alcohol? anything else random? or just weed? if they let her, and others in her house hold drink alcohol, but not partake (or in your words, dabble), then well, guess that just shows the hypocrisy of the employer. 

as her employer is the US Government, I guess that answered my question about the employer. 

[First Lady]

9 hours ago, El Presidente said:

.....don't tell my staff 

I would love to be her lawyer if she got fired because someone else in the household smoked cannabis.

So Rob we need to talk LOL , Dee and I are setting up a staff meeting Monday 😀🤣

[Cigar Surgeon]

Who has the money to smoke marijuana in this economy? 🤣

[benfica_77]

6 hours ago, Cigar Surgeon said:

Who has the money to smoke marijuana in this economy? 🤣

No need you can grow 4 plants at home legally with no specification on size of plant!  It's very easy 

 

On 6/1/2023 at 5:50 AM, Hammer Smokin' said:

my employer gives me $600 a year to buy weed. 

(seriously)

weed is included in our wellness plans. 

living in a country where one could be fired because someone else in the household smokes weed.....sounds not like a practice from the country that prides themselves with their level of freedom. 

curious, SCgarman, does your wifes job also prohibit you from eating meat? drinking alcohol? anything else random? or just weed? if they let her, and others in her house hold drink alcohol, but not partake (or in your words, dabble), then well, guess that just shows the hypocrisy of the employer. 

If you have a top secret security clearance in the Canadian federal gov they will come ask your neighbours questions like do they hear you scream at your spouse, do you have orgies etc. Deeply personal / controlling stuff.... it's part of the business sadly

[Arabian]

6 minutes ago, benfica_77 said:

If you have a top secret security clearance in the Canadian federal gov they will come ask your neighbours questions like do they hear you scream at your spouse, do you have orgies etc. Deeply personal / controlling stuff.... it's part of the business sadly

I knew a girl when I lived in BC back in 2009-2011, she applied for RCMP dispatcher and if I recall she told me they asked her to do some drug/weed test. im not sure if things have changed now. a friend of mine who got a job in the oil industry (safety engineer - radiation and related stuff) here in SA had to go through this clearance thing with the ministry of interior. long story short, the officer went inside the bathroom waiting behind the stall for him to finish doing the number 1/2 samples 😁

[SCgarman]

23 hours ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

as her employer is the US Government, I guess that answered my question about the employer. 

No. She works for a company that does contract work for the US DOD (department of defense). She is not directly employed by the US government. Her (program) is 100% virtual. Which entails all employees on this project all work from home. There is no brick and mortar office space. 

 

3 hours ago, benfica_77 said:

If you have a top secret security clearance in the Canadian federal gov they will come ask your neighbours questions like do they hear you scream at your spouse, do you have orgies etc. Deeply personal / controlling stuff.... it's part of the business sadly

I was interviewed once perhaps 15 years ago at home for my wife's security clearance renewal. The questions were basically about her character, honesty, drug/alcohol abuse, international travel to hostile countries. We had no worries. She lives a clean life, doesn't even like any types of alcohol. I was not asked anything regarding "sexual behaviors" thankfully. Crossing the line? Yeah!

[NSXCIGAR]

How much is a pack in Canada? Organized crime must be having a field day running cigarettes up from the US. 

5 hours ago, SCgarman said:

I was not asked anything regarding "sexual behaviors" thankfully. Crossing the line? Yeah!

I think the idea is to eliminate the possibility of blackmail or compromising information. Probably was a bigger deal in the past. Although you probably wouldn't want your FBI director to have pictures of him with a ball gag on floating around.