Image Source- bdnews24.com-
Metropolis Desk –
Canada has become the maiden country in the world to set down that individual cigarette carries compulsory health cautions.
While packets carry such warnings of the ventures related to smoking, the Canadian Government is taking this step to assure that it becomes “virtually impossible to avoid health cautions altogether.”
These regulations will come into effect on August 1 this year. These cigarettes will be circulated in a progressive format. The individual health cautions will first appear on King-size cigarettes by the end of July 2024, and by the end of April 2025, other varieties, regular-size cigarettes and little cigars with tipping paper, and tubes, will follow. Retailers will start selling packages with updated cautions by the end of April 2024, a release from Health Canada told on Wednesday.
“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. 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,” Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health Carolyn Bennett said.
These steps were hailed by anti-smoking syndics. “The necessity for a health caution baldly on every cigarette is a world instance setting step that will reach every person who smokes with every puff.” Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst with the Canadian Cancer Society, noted. Also in support was Doug Roth, CEO of Heart & Stroke, who felt that these “emphasized health messages on tobacco packaging” will “strengthen the fatal nature of these products.”
Canada first adopted illustrated cautions on tobacco product packages in 2000. Current health warnings on cigarette packets were established in 2011.
“Starting the proximate year, these new steps will help make sure that everyone all over the country can receive reliable information on the risks of tobacco use so they can make healthier selections for their wellbeing,” Canada’s Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos said.
Source- Hindustan Times
