Consultation on amendments to the Tobacco Act to ban menthol

Current status: The public consultation is now closed. Thank you for your interest.

In April 2016, Health Canada launched a 30-day consultation on a proposal to amend the schedule (list) to the Tobacco Act. The amendment would prohibit the use of menthol in order to make products less appealing to youth. The products affected included:

  • cigarettes
  • little cigars
  • most cigars
  • blunt wraps (tobacco leaves for rolling)

All comments received during this consultation were considered to inform Health Canada’s publication of the proposed Order in Part I of the Canada Gazette. This has now been published as of November 4, 2016, and is accompanied by the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement.

There is now a 75-day public consultation period, ending on January 18, 2017, that offers another opportunity to provide comments on this proposal.

You’re invited to provide comments on proposed amendments to the Tobacco Act’s list of prohibited additives to ban menthol in certain tobacco products.

Why

Recent data has shown that a significant number of youth smoke menthol cigarettes. Measures are being proposed to restrict the use of menthol in specific tobacco products to reduce their appeal to youth.

Menthol is a flavour additive used to mask the harshness of tobacco smoke. Youth who experiment with flavoured tobacco products are at risk for developing a lifelong addiction to tobacco. The most effective way of reducing lifetime tobacco use is to prevent its start at an early age.

Who

This consultation is looking for comments from Canadians.

What

The purpose of this consultation is to ask for comments on making tobacco use less appealing to youth. It specifically looks at the proposed amendments that would prohibit the use of menthol additives in:

  • cigarettes
  • little cigars
  • most cigars
  • blunt wraps (tobacco leaves for rolling)

When and where

The consultation document is available online at the Canada Gazette.

How to participate

Your comments will be used as feedback for policy making with regards to the proposed amendments.

You may submit your comments by:

  • mail
  • email, in electronic files such as:
    • Microsoft Word
    • Adobe Acrobat

Related information

Contact us

Health Canada
Manager, Regulations Division
Tobacco Products Regulatory Office
Tobacco Control Directorate
150 Tunney’s Pasture Driveway
Address locator: 0301A
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0K9

Email: hc.pregs.sc@canada.ca

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