Canada to Become the First Country to Put Warning Labels on Individual Cigarettes

Today, on June 2, reports indicate that the Canadian government announced on Wednesday that it will become the first country in the world to place warning labels on individual cigarettes. This law will take effect on August 1, but will be implemented in phases.

The government stated that retailers will be required to carry tobacco products with new health-related information on their packaging by the end of April 2024. By the end of July 2024, large cigarettes will be required to include health warnings. Regular-sized cigarettes and cigars will be required to include warnings by April 2025.

Rob Cunningham, a senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society, said: "Requiring health warnings to be placed directly on each cigarette is a groundbreaking measure that will affect every person who takes a puff. This innovative measure will be accompanied by unique external packaging warnings and internal health information. The new regulations deserve strong support."

The government will also require that at least 75% of tobacco packaging prominently display health warnings.

Canada aims to reduce its tobacco use rate to below 5% by 2035. According to government data, as of 2020, 13% of Canadians aged 15 and older smoke daily.

The Canadian government estimates that the health and economic costs associated with tobacco use in Canada amounted to $12.3 billion (CAD) in 2017, with direct healthcare costs accounting for $6.1 billion (CAD).

"Tobacco use continues to cause the deaths of 48,000 Canadians each year. We are taking action to become the first country in the world to place health warning information on individual cigarettes," said Carolyn Bennett, Canada's Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Deputy Minister of Health. "This bold initiative will make health warning information nearly unavoidable, and combined with updated graphic images displayed on packaging, will serve as a real and shocking reminder of the health impacts of smoking. We will continue to do everything we can to help more Canadians quit smoking and help young people live healthy, smoke-free lives."