Cigarette Packs with New Graphic Warnings Appear in Canada December 28, 2000
News Summary
Canada has become the first country to require tobacco companies to use cigarette packs with graphic warnings and shocking color photos, the Ottawa Citizen reported Dec. 26.This week, the new warnings began appearing in stores. Under the federal law, there are 16 images which tobacco companies are required to rotate equally in production lines.
The graphic warnings are reminders to smokers of the health risks associated with smoking. The photos are designed to encourage smokers to think twice before lighting up.
According to Health Canada, the images were chosen for their medical shock value -- such as diseased mouths, lungs and brain tissue -- and their ability to impose feelings of guilt among smokers.
The regulations, passed by Parliament last June, require the photo and warning to cover 50 percent of the front panel of the cigarette pack.
"This is a huge step forward in terms of consumer protection," said Cynthia Callard, executive director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada. "It's wondrous. The cost is miniscule. It's one of the most economical things that governments can do. It shows the power and importance of good regulations. You don't have to spend your way out of tobacco problems. You just have to have a bit of spine."
The change to the new cigarette packs is expected to cost the tobacco industry $30 million in one-time transition fees. The cost could be passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices of cigarettes.
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