Canada bans menthol smokes

Health Canada announced yesterday a finalized amendment to the Tobacco Act that bans the use of menthol in cigarettes, blunt wraps and most cigars sold on the Canadian market.

The amendment is said to expand flavour restrictions to 95 percent of the tobacco market in Canada.

‘This amendment builds on changes that came into force in 2009 and 2015, which banned the use of certain additives, including flavours like chocolate and bubble gum, in all cigarettes, blunt wraps and most cigars (including little cigars), to make them less attractive to youth,’ Health Canada said in a press note.

‘Menthol masks the irritating effect of tobacco smoke by making it easier to inhale, which facilitates experimentation by youth.

‘Most Canadians who have smoked a cigarette did so by the age of 18 and many go on to become lifetime smokers.

‘Preventing youth from starting to smoke is one of the most effective means of decreasing tobacco use in Canada.

‘By prohibiting menthol in most tobacco products, the government of Canada is taking yet another step to reduce the appeal of smoking to Canadian youth.’

The press note included what Health Canada described as ‘quick Facts’:

• ‘Research has shown that an important way to curb lifetime smoking is to prevent youth from starting to smoke in the first place.
• ‘Despite success in reducing smoking rates among youth to a record low, recent data has shown that a significant number of youth smoke menthol cigarettes.
• ‘Restricting the use of menthol flavouring is only one part of the government of Canada’s overall tobacco control strategy. The government of Canada continues to advance work to implement its commitment to introduce plain and standardized packaging requirements for all tobacco products, to pass new legislation to regulate vaping products, as well as supporting First Nation and Inuit communities in the development and implementation of tobacco control projects that are socially and culturally appropriate.
• ‘During the 75-day comment period following the Canada Gazette, Part I pre-publication of this amendment, Health Canada received 131 submissions on the menthol ban, the vast majority of which supported this course of action.’