Flavored Tobacco Products:
Bubble Gum, Cotton Candy, Peach, and Chocolate . . . No, these aren’t ice cream flavors

Tobacco companies are targeting the youth sector more than ever with trendy fruit and candy flavoured cigarillos and spit tobacco being put on the store shelves in bright, colourful packaging that are cheaper than regular cigarettes. 

These little cigars have been labeled as “starter” cigarettes because of their youth friendly flavors and their affordability as they are sold individually.  Tobacco companies are able to market these products like this as current legislation does not require individually packaged cigarillos to have health warning labels or packaging restrictions. 

According to Health Canada’s 2006-2007 Youth Smoking Survey, 55% of youth in grades 10-12 have tried these products along with cigarettes, cigars, and pipes.

In order to reduce the sale of these products, Health Canada is proposing to make amendments to the Tobacco Act to make packaging restrictions for cigarillos similar to the current legislation for cigarettes including minimum numbers of little cigars sold per package and warning labels.

On March 26, 2009, Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis (Winnipeg North, NDP) introduced a bill that calls for stricter labeling and packaging regarding the sale of cigarillos, cigars, and pipe tobacco.

Update:  On June 17, 2009, Bill C-32, “An act to amend the Tobacco Act” in order to protect children and youth from tobacco industry marketing and its products, is in its 2nd reading.  This bill includes the following amendments:

• prohibiting the packaging and distribution of little cigars unless they are sold in packages of at least 20 little cigars. 
• Prohibiting the production and sale of tobacco products that contain certain additives and fruit flavors.
• Requiring that manufacturers submit all the required information about the composition of the tobacco products to the Minister. 
• Repealing the exception that permits tobacco advertisements to be printed in publications that has an adult readership of not less than 85%.

For more information:

• Bill C-32:  An act to amend the Tobacco Act

 

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