Canada - Ontario bill takes aim at flavoured tobacco products

[S.J.B.]

Ontario bill takes aim at flavoured tobacco products
Gabrielle Tieman
Canada.com
April 21st, 2012

A bill introduced by an opposition politician in the Ontario legislature could help that province finally snuff out the marketing of flavoured tobacco products, including cigarillos and tobacco-containing candy — a goal many younger people say they support.

Health officials say they hope other provinces will take note.

The private member’s bill was introduced last week by the NDP’s France Gelinas in an attempt to plug a hole in provincial legislation. Both the province and the federal government have tried unsuccessfully to address the marketing of candy and fruit-flavoured cigarillos. Legislation banned the products in 2010, but defined cigarillos as having a maximum weight. Companies simply increased the size of their products to skirt these laws. When the original legislation defined such products as having filters, the industry simply removed the filters.

Gelinas’s broadly worded bill aims to close the loopholes.

Young people approached by Postmedia News said they like her initiative.

Read the full story here.

 

[Crankinit]

Not sure how you can justify banning flavored tobacco when flavor is an essential part of alcohol marketing.

 

[S.J.B.]

Not sure how you can justify banning flavored tobacco when flavor is an essential part of alcohol marketing.

You could use the reasoning that tobacco is considerably more addictive than alcohol, and probably the worst drug for any young person to try out.

 

[Thorns Have Roses]

Protect the children!

Will they exempt menthols?

And what the fuck kinda young person would find a fruit-rollup/kid's snack styled packaging appealing. I'd think they'd want it to be as adult (yet rebelliously fashionable) as possible...

 

[sekio]

A similar story is about to happen in Western Canada I fear since the government basically put a blanket ban on blunt wraps ("flvoured tobacco products"), because of their known association with cannabis usage. So there's a rise in pre-rolled flavoured tobacco instead and now of course that should be banned. As for the tobacco-containing candy, I've never heard of such a thing and can only imagine that being used as drug-ban-speak for 'flavoured dipping tobacco'.

What's next, banning flavoured coffee? You'd put Starbucks out of fucking business. I'm all for public health but I think this is a bit stupid.The Puritanical overtones are getting a little strong for me I think.