Federal government’s suggested change to Tobacco Act would apply to 95 per cent of tobacco market
https://ipolitics.ca/2016/11/04/health-canada-proposing-menthol-ban-for-tobacco-products/
Health Canada has announced it’s proposing an order that would amend the Tobacco Act to prohibit “the use of menthol in cigarettes, blunt wraps and most cigars sold on the Canadian market,” as a measure of curbing smoking rates among youth.
A press release issued by the federal department late Friday afternoon says the proposed flavour ban would apply to 95 per cent of the entire tobacco market.
This decision comes after Health Canada completed a month-long consultation on the issue back in May. Health Canada accepted stakeholder comments for 30 days.
The news release dated Nov. 4 says “the vast majority” of the comments the department received were supportive of a ban on the use of menthol flavouring in tobacco products.
Health Canada says the proposed amendment will be published in the Canada Gazette Part I and will be open to a 75-day public comment period. The news release encourages Canadians to submit feedback to the department.
The government has made other amendments in the past which banned other flavour additives, such as chocolate and bubblegum. Menthol makes tobacco smoke easier to inhale, “which facilitates experimentation by youth,” the news release reads. The document also says recent data shows that a “significant” number of young people smoke menthol cigarettes.
“Every year, tens of thousands of Canadians die from preventable diseases that can be directly linked to smoking,” Health Minister Jane Philpott is quoted saying in the release. “Research shows that the best way to prevent these deaths is to stop people from smoking in the first place, especially when they’re young.”
The health minister is scheduled to host a forum in early 2017 to discussed the future of tobacco control.