Canada displays health ‘hypocrisy’
Imperial Tobacco Canada has called on the Canadian government to end what it sees as the hypocrisy surrounding the government’s health agenda, according to a CNW press note. On one hand, the federal government wanted to move ahead with the legalization of marijuana, Imperial said, while, on the other hand, it sought further to regulate tobacco by banning menthol and introducing standardized packaging.
“What’s the government’s end game when it comes to tobacco?” Gagnon, Imperial’s director of corporate and regulatory affairs, was quoted as saying. “Nobody disagrees with the virtues of regulating tobacco and yes, even the tobacco industry believes young people should not smoke. There are proven means to ensuring that young people do not smoke, take education programs for example. Yet, the government continues to concede to a small yet vocal group of health lobbyists who are more anti-industry than pro-health.”
The theme of this year’s World No Tobacco Day on May 31 is ‘Get Ready for Plain Packaging’, and, according to Imperial, the Trudeau government has made it clear that it intends to follow Australia, the UK and France’s lead by implementing standardized packaging in Canada at some point in its mandate.
“Announcing more tobacco regulations is an easy political win that will generate headlines, but do nothing to further reduce smoking rates,” said Gagnon. “Unsurprisingly, evidence from Australia shows plain packaging has not achieved any of its stated objectives. Canada will be no different. With products already hidden from view in stores and 75 percent of the pack covered with health warnings, nobody starts smoking because of the pack.”
Imperial said that the smoking rate in Canada was at an all-time low. ‘Tobacco regulations in Canada are among the strictest in the world with retail display bans, three quarters of all cigarette packs already covered with graphic health warnings, no sponsorships, no advertising, governments suing tobacco companies to the tune of billions of dollars, the list goes on,’ it said.
‘The health risks associated with smoking have been known for decades. It is for this reason that Imperial Tobacco Canada is not opposed to regulation that is solidly based in fact. ‘However, punitive regulations that are based on emotion and false claims about industry tactics are not effective public policy.’
“If the government is really serious about the health of Canadians, it should acknowledge the harm reduction potential of smokeless electronic nicotine products and table clear regulations around these products,” said Gagnon.
Meanwhile, according to another CNW story, the ‘health organizations’ in Canada endorsing ‘plain and standardized packaging’ include: Action on Smoking and Health, the Asthma Society of Canada, the Campaign for Justice on Tobacco Fraud, the Canadian Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Coalition for Action on Tobacco, the Canadian Council of Cardiovascular Nurses, the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control, the Canadian Dental Association, the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association, the Canadian Diabetes Association, the Canadian Lung Association, the Canadian Medical Association, the Cardiac Health Foundation of Canada, the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Non-Smokers’ Rights Association, Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada.