Canada Will Ban 'Light,' 'Mild' Cigarette Labels May 30, 2006
News Summary
Cigarettes labeled "light" or "mild" are expected to soon disappear off stores shelves in Canada, the CBC reported May 26.
Canada's new Conservative government appears poised to ban use of the two terms in cigarette marketing, with Health Canada calling them "misleading." Legislation is expected to be introduced in the fall.
"It has been a disappointment for national health organizations that proposals in this regard have taken years and we have not yet seen a regulation," said Rob Cunningham of the Canadian Cancer Society. "So the prospects of a regulation actually happening are encouraging." Proposals to ban the terms have been floating around since 2001.
"We are willing to eliminate the light and mild descriptors on our cigarettes, just as long as there is a system in place to allow adult smokers to navigate the strengths and different brands of our products," said Catherine Doyle, a spokesperson for Imperial Tobacco.
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