Every year on May 31, the World Health Organization marks World No Tobacco Day - a day to highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use and to promote policies aimed at reducing tobacco consumption.
Although smoking is at an all-time low in Canada - dropping to 16 per cent among the general population and 7 per cent among 15- to 17-year-olds - smoking remains the number one cause of preventable disease and death in Canada, killing more than 37,000 Canadians each year.
This year, the World Health Organization is encouraging governments around the world to increase taxes on tobacco to levels that reduce tobacco consumption. Canada's Economic Action Plan 2014 proposes to restore the effectiveness of the excise duty on tobacco products by adjusting the rate to account for inflation. Evidence demonstrates that effective and sustainable tobacco tax policies can significantly contribute to reducing the consumption of tobacco products, particularly among youth.
Our Government is committed to helping Canadians quit smoking and preventing them from starting to smoke in the first place. In January, in cooperation with the Canadian Cancer Society, we launched Break It Off, a multi-year, $4.8-million tobacco cessation marketing campaign aimed at helping young adult smokers, aged 20-24, quit smoking.
In addition, over the past five years our Government has implemented several measures aimed at preventing and reducing tobacco use. These include requiring new warning labels and the inclusion of a pan-Canadian quit line number and web address for those who want to quit; restricting access to little cigars and blunt wraps for youth through minimum packaging provisions; banning flavours and additives (except for menthol) in cigarettes, little cigars and blunt wraps; and, prohibiting tobacco advertising in adult-oriented media that may be viewed by children and youth. Our Government also introduced the Tackling Contraband Tobacco Act to combat trafficking and cross-border smuggling of contraband tobacco.
Going forward, Health Canada will continue to evaluate the impact of recent tobacco marketing trends, especially on youth. If we determine that the tobacco industry continues to market its products to Canadian youth, our Government will take the appropriate actions.
Rona Ambrose,
Minister of Health
