Do More With Reuters
Partner Services

Canada eyes ban on flavored tobacco aimed at youths

Wed May 27, 2009 2:39am IST
 
Email | Print | | Single Page
[-] Text [+]

By Allan Dowd

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 26 (Reuters) - The Canadian government on Tuesday proposed a ban on fruit-flavored cigarettes and small cigars that anti-smoking groups say are being marketed like candy to lure children into smoking.

Tobacco advertising rules will also be tightened to close a loophole that allows cigarettes to be advertised in newspapers and magazines that claim to be aimed at an adults but are available to anyone and often given out for free.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said the industry's own internal documents showed it was using sweet flavors like grape, banana and peach to entice teenagers to try tobacco for the first time so they become addicted.

"Tobacco is not candy and should never be mistaken as such," Aglukkaq told a news conference in Ottawa.

Canada's tobacco industry denies it markets it products to children. The country's larger producers do not make fruit-flavored cigarettes or cigarillos, but they are imported from foreign producers.

Cigarette use among teenagers in Canada has declined from 28 percent in 1999 to 15 percent in 2007, but anti-smoking groups worry that flavored smoking products will reverse that trend.

"Parents might not know about them, but their children do," said Rob Cunningham, of the Canadian Cancer Society.

The restrictions would not ban menthol-flavored tobacco.  Continued...

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaks, as finance minister Alistair Darling listens at the G20 Finance Ministers meeting in St. Andrews, Scotland. REUTERS/POOL New
UK joins G20 push for world levy on banks

Britain threw its weight behind proposals to impose a global levy on banks to fund future bailouts and called on the G20 to work toward a $100 billion deal to meet the cost of climate change.  Full Article | Full Coverage 

Market Update

  • IndiaIndia
  • USUS
  • UKUK
  • Asia
  • Most Actives

column

Nipun Mehta
Nipun Mehta, SG Private Banking
India - planning the road to recovery

There needs to be an acceptable balance created between education & healthcare and infrastructure spend.  Full Article 

SHOWCASE

Robot Asimo

Snapshots of Honda Motor's humanoid robot Asimo  Slideshow 

 
Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy

Companies are now using direct marketing methods to sell their products.  Full Article 

 
Out of Woods?
Out of the Woods?

Analysis - CIT's bankruptcy exit fraught with uncertainty  Full Article 

 
Exit Plans
Exit Plans

Factbox - Stimulus exit plans for Asia-Pacific's big 5 economies  Full Article