Tobacco Reporting Regulations for Canadian Manufacturers and Importers

On this page:

• Tobacco Reporting Regulations
• Official Methods for the Testing of Tobacco Products
• Regulatory Transparency and Openness

Tobacco Reporting Regulations

Under these regulations, Canadian manufacturers and importers must provide Health Canada with information about their tobacco products and, where applicable, their emissions. In addition to information on sales, ingredients, manufacturing procedures, promotional activities and research activities, they must report on over 20 constituents (substances found in tobacco) and 40 emissions (substances found in smoke).

The Tobacco Reporting Regulations were amended in 2005 and in 2019. The latest changes address recommendations of the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations and update requirements to make them more relevant to the current environment and to eliminate redundant requirements. Furthermore, the official testing methods for the sampling and testing of tobacco products were updated to reflect technological advances.

Methods for the Testing of Tobacco Products

The regulations incorporate by reference a number of methods that must be used by manufacturers to test their tobacco products:

• Sampling of tobacco products for testing purposes
• Preparation of samples for testing purposes
• Emissions
• Conditions for data collection
• Mainstream smoke test methods
• Sidestream smoke test methods
• Constituents
  • Whole tobacco (unburnt tobacco) test methods
• Toxicity
  • Toxicity of cigarette emissions test methods

To find out more about these methods, please contact the Tobacco Control Directorate: tcp.questions-plt@hc-sc.gc.ca.

The test methods are also listed in the Health Canada's Incorporation by Reference Inventory. For more information regarding incorporation by reference, consult Health Canada's Incorporation by Reference Policy.

Regulatory Transparency and Openness

The Proposed Regulations Amending the Tobacco Reporting Regulations were reviewed by the Standing Committee on Health that made the following recommendation in their Sixth Report (38th Parliament, 1st Session):

"That all information to be submitted to Health Canada under these regulations be made public. If need be, the Minister of Health should authorize its disclosure in the public interest in accordance with Section 20 (6) of the Access to Information Act."

The government response to the report of the Standing Committee on Health on proposed regulations amending the Tobacco Reporting Regulations agrees fully with the spirit and intent of Standing Committee's recommendation. The government reiterates in the response that it is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and, in particular, ensuring that Canadians have access to information that can help make them make informed decisions on policies and practices that affect their well-being.