The Canadian government wants to require cigarette makers to print written health warnings on every cigarette, Caroline Bennett, minister of Mental Health and Addiction, was quoted by Reuters as saying.
If the plan goes forward, Canada would be the first country to implement such rules. In 2001, Canada pioneered the use of graphic health warnings on cigarette packages, an example that has since been followed by many other countries.
Carolyn Bennett says the measure is outdated for the 13 percent of Canadians who smoke regularly.
"Adding health warnings to individual tobacco products will help ensure that these basic messages get through to people, including young people, who often smoke one cigarette at a time in social Settings and avoid the messages printed on the packaging," she was quoted as saying.
A 75-day public consultation period, which will inform the development of the proposed new regulations, begins on June 11.
Rothmans Benson & Hedges, a Canadian subsidiary of Philip Morris International, said the proposals would do little to reduce the number of smokers.
"We believe that better choices start with better information and that millions of current adult smokers should have access to appropriate information about alternatives," a spokesman told Reuters. . Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) welcomed the plan.
"We are pleased with the proposed new graphic health warnings for all tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco," Les Hagen, ASH Canada executive Director, said in a statement. "A picture is worth a thousand words and these pictures and messages will protect thousands of Canadians from tobacco dependence and disease. The new and improved warnings will replace messages that have been on tobacco packages for more than a decade. The message on the stick is a global precedent and will warn smokers of the serious risks with every puff they take. The visibility and intensity of these warnings will better reflect the huge risks of smoking." According to ASH, tobacco use kills more than 50,000 Canadians each year -- more than all other drugs combined.