New warning labels for tobacco will be introduced later this year.

Starting August 1st, Canada will become the first country in the world to put labels on individual cigarettes…

The new Tobacco Products Appearance, Packaging and Labelling Regulations will be part of the Government of Canada’s continued efforts to help adults who smoke to quit, to protect youth and non-tobacco users from nicotine addiction, and to further reduce the appeal of tobacco.

Labelling the tipping paper of individual cigarettes, little cigars, tubes, and other tobacco products will make it virtually impossible to avoid health warnings altogether.

These regulations will be implemented through a phased approach.

“Tobacco use continues to kill 48,000 Canadians each year. We are taking action by being the first country in the world to label individual cigarettes with health warning messages. This bold step will make health warning messages virtually unavoidable, and together with updated graphic images displayed on the package, will provide a real and startling reminder of the health consequences of smoking. We will continue to do whatever it takes to help more people in Canada stop smoking and help young people to live healthy tobacco-free lives,” says Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health.

Retailers will carry tobacco product packages that feature the new health-related messages by the end of April 2024.

King-size cigarettes will be the first to feature individual health warnings and will be sold by retailers in Canada by the end of July 2024, followed by regular-size cigarettes and little cigars with tipping paper, and tubes, by the end of April 2025.

Other measures in the regulations include strengthening and updating health-related messages on tobacco product packages, extending the requirement for health-related messaging to all tobacco product packages, and implementing the periodic rotation of messages.