Canada has decided to become stricter and fight strongly against the evil of smoking. In September 2011, the Canadian government disclosed that labels on cigarette packets would have to be scarier. The new labels were introduced on grounds that consumers had become used to the existing labels.
The new labels will cover three fourth of the packets while the present labels covered only half of the packets. Among the 16 proposed new labels, some will show Edmonton native Barb Tarbox, a well-known anti-tobacco advocate who died of lung cancer in 2003, on her deathbed.
Tobacco manufacturers and importers have until March 21, 2012 to make the transition to the new labels, while retailers will have until June 19, 2012 to ensure all packages on their shelves feature the new labels.
The new labels include the addition of a national toll-free number and website address for support in quitting smoking, as well as new full-color warning messages inside the packages. Moreover the new packets cannot have the words ‘light’ or ‘mild’ printed on them.
Canada pioneered the idea of using scary labels to deter consumers from smoking. In 2000, it issued the first-of-its kind order to affix graphic health warnings on the packets, which resulted in the decline in smoking rate among young people aged 15-19 over a 10-year period, from 25% in 2000 to 12% in 2010.
Though the Canadian Public Health Association welcomed the move, major tobacco player in the region, Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd, a unit of British American Tobacco (BATS) said the new labels were "poor policy for political gain" and would not cut the number of smokers. Other tobacco giants like Rothmans Benson & Hedges Inc, which is partly owned by Philip Morris International Inc. (PM) and Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd, also expressed discontentment on the tougher warning labels.
Cigarette manufacturers are facing pressure as governments around the world are embarking on stricter anti-smoking campaigns. Philip Morris has sued Norway's Ministry of Health and Care Services in the Oslo District Court against a Norwegian law banning cigarette displays in stores.
Five tobacco giants across the globe have together voiced against the forceful use of horrendous labels on the cigarette packets. Reynolds American Inc. (RAI), Lorillard Inc. (LO), Ligget Group, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco, and Commonwealth Brands all have filed a case against Food and Drug Administration (‘FDA’) for imposing labels that are focused on cutting down smokers rather than helping consumers make a free choice. In June, tobacco giant Philip Morris stood up against the Australian government’s proposed ban on cigarette-packaging advertisements.
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