Canada is going to become the first country to print a health warning on each cigarette in a way to combat this unhealthy habit, reported India Today. The decision came after the country introduced graphic images on the cigarette boxes two decades ago which became a trend all over the world. In this regard, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Carolyn Bennett said: “We need to address the concern that these messages may have lost their novelty, and to an extent, we worry that they may have lost their impact as well.”
A consultation period regarding the change is set to begin on Saturday and the Canadian government hopes to bring the change by the latter half of 2023.
“Adding health warnings on individual tobacco products will help ensure that these essential messages reach people, including the youth, who often access cigarettes one at a time in social situations, sidestepping the information printed on a package,” added Bennet.
The current proposal for the warning is “poison in every puff”.
Canadian Cancer Society’s senior policy analyst Rob Cunningham hoped the message would reach the world. “It’s a warning that you simply cannot ignore. It’s going to reach every smoker, with every puff,” added Cunningham.
