Canada world’s first to require warnings on individual cigarettes

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) – In a push to curb tobacco use, Canada became the world’s first country on Tuesday to require health warnings such as "poison in every puff” on individual cigarettes.

Other warnings include “cigarettes cause impotence,” "cigarettes cause cancer," "tobacco smoke harms children," and "cigarettes damage your organs."

Since Canada is a bilingual country, the government has demanded a double message – the new labels will be in both English and French. Warnings are already on individual packages of cigarettes.

Smoking continues to kill about 48,000 Canadians a year, said Health Minister Carolyn Bennett when the regulations were announced May 31.

The individual warnings will be phased in, with king-sized cigarettes carrying the message by July 31, 2024 and regular smokes by April 30, 2025.

Canada was the leader in requiring health warnings on packages of cigarettes in 2001, and it is again the trendsetter with the new regulations.

“We will continue to do whatever it takes to help more people in Canada stop smoking and help young people to live healthy tobacco-free lives,” Bennett said.

Prices for individual packages of cigarettes vary from province to province, from CAN$15.42 (US$11.60) in Newfoundland to CAN$11.68 (US$9.79) in Quebec, according to Statista, a data gathering website.

However, in some areas cigarettes can be purchased on Indigenous reserves for half the price since less tax is charged.