In Canada, a health warning must be printed on every single cigarette and cigar in the future. It is a “world first” in the fight against smoking, the government said on Wednesday.
In Canada, a health warning must be printed on every single cigarette and cigar in the future. It is a “world premiere” in the fight against smoking, the government said on Wednesday. The warnings are to be introduced gradually from August 1st. These include sentences like “Poison in every puff”, “Tobacco smoke harms children” or “Cigarettes cause cancer”.
According to Minister Carolyn Bennett, Canada is the first country in the world to introduce such warnings directly on cigarettes. She spoke of a “bold step” with which smokers could no longer escape the health warnings.
In 2000, Canada became the first country to introduce warning images of the dangers of smoking on cigarette packs, including depictions of damaged lungs or hearts. Since then, the number of smokers has declined. The declared goal of the government in Ottawa is to reduce their share of the total population to five percent by 2035. About 13 percent of Canadians still smoke. Every year around 48,000 people die in the country as a result of smoking.