Ontario to ban all flavoured tobacco products
April 29, 2015
By StaffTorstar News Service
Ontario will soon have the most restrictive tobacco rules in Canada with all flavoured products – even menthol – outlawed.
The provincial government is moving forward with the landmark “Making Healthier Choices Act” and will ban menthol cigarettes and other flavoured tobacco products – including chewing tobacco, “wine-dipped” cigars, and fruity cigarettes.
As well, e-cigarettes will also be outlawed for anyone younger than 19 years old.
Convenience stores, already forbidden from displaying tobacco products or signs, are complaining about even more restrictions. These will include where e-cigarettes can be sold and how they’re promoted. Repeat scofflaws could face fines of up to $300,000.
Canada’s leading tobacco company supports Ontario’s plan to ban flavoured tobacco, but is opposed to menthol being included. Nadine Bernard, a spokesperson for Imperial Tobacco, says menthol smokers – about 5 per cent of the tobacco market, and typically over 30 years old – will resort to the black market.
According to Statistics Canada, about 4 per cent of 114,000 students are regular smokers and 13.6 years is the average age for smoking a whole cigarette.
Eight per cent of students – or 205,000 – have tried a flavoured tobacco product in the last month. Two per cent of students in grades 6 to 9 have smoked a menthol cigarette in the last month.
Nova Scotia recently introduced legislation along the same lines as Ontario’s.
It would be illegal to sell flavoured tobacco, although the provincial government wants Ottawa to regulate e-cigarettes and the flavoured juice they contain.
The ban would also include flavoured rolling papers and tobacco products that are not smoked, such as chewing tobacco and snuff. It does not include port, rum, wine and whiskey-flavoured cigars that weigh five grams or more.
The legislation would come into effect May 31, if passed.
The major non-tobacco aspect of Ontario’s Making Healthier Choices Act is that all fast-food restaurant chains with more than 20 outlets – like McDonald’s or Subway – will be forced to display the calorie count for everything on the menu.
Government inspectors will ensure the information is clearly posted and fast-food operators who do not comply will face $500-per-day fines for the first offence and $1,000 daily levies for subsequent breaches.
Ottawa Council on Smoking or Health
February 27, 2014
The Honourable Deborah Matthews, MPP, London North Centre, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, 10th Floor, Hepburn Block, 80 Grosvenor Street, Toronto, ON M7A 2C4
Ms. France Gélinas, MPP, Nickel Belt, Room 186, Main Legislative Building, Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON M7A 1A5
Dear Minister Matthews and Ms. Gélinas:
RE: Bill 130 (Prohibiting Flavoured Tobacco, New Tobacco Products and Smokeless Tobacco) and Bill 131 (Youth Smoking Prevention Act), Amendments to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act
– Hospital workers who take smoke breaks risk exposing patients to SHS through their exhaled breath.
– Third-hand smoke travels in elevators, hallways and at the patient’s bedside on hospital uniforms. Third-hand smoke contains highly toxic chemicals that build up over time and get trapped in hair, skin and fabrics. It is highly dangerous for hospitalized patients and hospital staff to inhale third-hand smoke.
It also covers vaping. They want all visible smoking or things that look like smoking outlawed basicly.
