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submitted 1 year ago by soyagi@yiffit.net to c/world@lemmy.world

Canada will be the first nation to start printing warnings directly onto individual cigarettes in a bid to deter young people from starting smoking and encourage others to quit.

The warnings, which will be in English and French, will include phrases like "Cigarettes cause cancer" and "Poison in every puff".

The new regulations go into effect on Tuesday.

Starting next year, Canadians will begin to see the new warning labels.

By July 2024 manufacturers will have to ensure the warnings are on all king-size cigarettes sold, and by April 2025 all regular-size cigarettes and little cigars with tipping paper and tubes must include the warnings.

The phrases will appear by the filter, including warnings about harming children, damaging organs and causing impotence and leukaemia.

In May, Health Canada said the new regulations "will make it virtually impossible to avoid health warnings" on tobacco products.

A second set of six phrases is expected to be printed on cigarettes in 2026.

The move is part of Canada's effort to reduce tobacco use to less than 5% by 2035 and follows a 75-day public consultation period that was launched last year.

Canada has required the printing of warning labels on cigarette packages since 1989 and in 2000 the country adopted pictorial warning requirements for tobacco product packages.

Health Canada said it plans to expand on warnings by printing additional warning labels inside the packages themselves, and introducing a new external warning messages.

Dr Robert Schwartz, of the University of Toronto, told BBC News it was good news that Canada was "moving forward with this innovation".

"Health warnings on individual cigarettes will likely push some people who smoke to make a quit attempt and may prevent some young people from starting to smoke," he said.

He also pointed to New Zealand, which has introduced very low nicotine cigarettes, as a leader in limiting the use of tobacco.

Mr Schwartz added: "These are the kinds of measures needed if we are serious about decreasing tobacco use."

Tobacco use continues to kill 48,000 Canadians each year.

"Tobacco use continues to be one of Canada's most significant public health problems, and is the country's leading preventable cause of disease and premature death in Canada," Public Services Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has previously said.

The Canadian Cancer Society, Canada's Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Lung Association have all praised the warning labels, saying they hope the measures will deter people, especially young people, from taking up smoking in the first place.

Cigarette smoking is widely regarded as a risk factor for lung cancer, heart disease and stroke.

In Canada, the rate of smokers aged 15 years or older is around 10%, according to a national 2021 Tobacco and Nicotine survey but electronic cigarette use has been on the rise.

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[-] Grass@geddit.social 6 points 1 year ago

When I ran the tobacco lockup in a grocery store old, nearly dead people would specifically request boxes or cartons with the less disturbing images on them.

[-] khaleesa@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago

I actually think this could be a good idea as a deterrent. It’s easy enough to ignore the images and words on the box, but to have to see it every time you pull out and puff on a cigarette might be more effective.

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[-] brlemworld@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Make them illegal to sell at this point.

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[-] TIEPilot@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

This is so stupid, they know they are bad for them and they keep puffing away. So why waste the resources?

Reminds me of Bill Burr's take on DV

https://youtu.be/zM38aK5Uhs4?t=101

[-] PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks 4 points 1 year ago

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[-] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Makes perfect sense. The warnings on every pack have stopped being effective so start printing lessor warnings on the part that's immediately thrown away.

[-] Scubus@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

Honestly why not skip the middle man and pass legislation to get them to stamp the warning directly in my lungs

[-] Chadus_Maximus@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

Let me guess, no minimum age increase still? So not dealing with the root of the problem.

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[-] fubo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Collect them all!

[-] TrenchcoatFullofBats@belfry.rip 2 points 1 year ago

Wayne: I'll have a dart...wait a minute.
Dan: What is it, Waynes?
Wayne: It says here on my dart that "cigarettes cause impotence".
Dan: Wells, you can always enjoys watching other people's kids falls off of bikes, Waynes.
Wayne: (takes a long drag) I could watch kids fall off of bikes all day long, Dan. All (drag) day (drag) long (drag).

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this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2023
550 points (97.4% liked)

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