Canada signals its standardized packaging intentions

The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that he expects his health minister to introduce, as a matter of urgency, standardized packaging (PP) legislation for tobacco products, according to a story in the Ottawa Citizen relayed by the TMA.

He wants the minister, Jane Philpott, to make it a top priority to introduce standardized packaging legislation similar to that introduced in Australia and the UK.

Eric Gagnon, head of external and corporate affairs for Imperial Tobacco Canada, said there was no evidence from Australia [the only country where such legislation has been implemented] that standardized packaging reduced smoking rates. “Government, in order to introduce legislation, needs to make sure it has a positive impact,” he said.

“We need a common sense approach to this. Nobody starts to smoke because of the packages.

“There’s already a 75-per-cent health warning on the packs. All the packs are hidden from public view. So plain packaging is not going to provide further information to consumers who are already aware of the health risk associated with smoking.”

He declined to say if the industry would launch legal action against the government [as it has done in Australia, the UK and Ireland].

“Obviously, there are intellectual property issues with preventing any company to use their trademarks,” he said.

The measure, promised by the Liberals in last fall’s election campaign, is being applauded by the Canadian Cancer Society, which says tobacco companies currently use their cigarette packs as mini billboards.

The cancer society said standardized packaging was an “important and logical step to curb tobacco marketing, reduce smoking and save lives”.