The government is working to protect Canada’s youth from tobacco marketing practices designed to lure young people into addiction.

The proposed changes to the Tobacco Act legislation would make it illegal for tobacco manufacturers to use additives and sugars that create fruit or candy flavours in cigars, cigarillos, cigarettes and blunt wraps (rolling papers).

The proposed act requires that cigarillos and blunt wraps be sold in minimum packages of 20, rather than in small-quantity “kiddy-packs” that are affordable for youth. It also removes loopholes that manufacturers use to advertise to children and youth. These products are often sold individually and priced as low as a dollar, so the target audience is quite obvious.

Using fruit flavours and sugar in cigarillos and blunt wraps to entice young people to smoke must not continue. This government is committed to decreasing tobacco addiction among future generations, and we plan to take action against tobacco marketing practices aimed at youth.

Current laws allow tobacco advertisements to be placed in print publications with adult readership of 85 percent or higher. The proposed amendments would remove this loophole, restricting the advertisement of tobacco to signs in areas where minors are prohibited – such as bars and nightclubs – and in publications addressed and mailed to an adult.

Flavours being currently being used by tobacco manufactures include grape, papaya, cookie dough, coconut, chocolate, cherry and many others. Menthol-flavoured cigarettes, which have been in the marketplace since the 1920s and are used by about two percent of Canadian smokers, would not be included in the ban.

Little cigars are the fastest growing tobacco product on the Canadian market. Wholesale sales of them have increased from 53 million units in 2001 to 403 million units in 2007. The fruit flavours and additives in many of these cigarillos are intended to mask the harshness of the tobacco and appeal to children and youth.

The representation of these flavours and additives on the package through pictures or graphics will also be prohibited to allow for timely enforcement. Packaging would not be allowed to make it appear that tobacco products are flavoured.

These measures show our commitment to making tobacco products less affordable, less accessible and less appealing for children and youth.

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The audio version of Garry's September 14, 2009 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here