The Harper government has announced that tobacco product labelling in Canada will soon become far more graphic and far more shocking in an effort to deter people from smoking and chewing.
Although tobacco packaging in Canada is already required to prominently display graphic photos and strong warnings, the new labels will make the current situation seem very mild in comparison.
Whether this latest anti-smoking effort will have the desired effect of reducing overall tobacco use will only be known months or even years from now. What is certain and what is known right now is that the government has taken the fight against the use of this legal product to a shocking new level.
According to the Health Canada rules, the new labels must cover at least 75 per cent of front and back packaging. They will include real-life photos of cancerous body parts and suffering cancer victims – the oral cancer labels, for example, are nothing less than horrific.
The new labels and warnings must be in place by March 2012.
“The former images have been there for some time. You know people get used to the images and the idea here today is to make the images larger with new photographs and to also put a connection to the image to the people that were impacted,” said Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq.
Not surprisingly, the Canadian Cancer Society is applauding the new labels.
“The evidence is that the larger the size (of the label), the larger the impact," said society spokesperson Rob Cunningham.
For its part, Imperial Tobacco officials reportedly said the new labels were unlikely to reduce the number of smokers.
“We believe that the health risks have been known for decades and that the existing regulations, including the 50 per cent health warning, provide sufficient information to consumers in order for them to make an informed decision," said company spokesman Eric Gagnon.
Tobacco products are, of course, legal for adult use in every Canadian province and territory. At the same time, there is no product anywhere that generates such controversy and such public debate.
In the end, these new labels may end up causing some smokers to quit and may prevent other non-smokers from ever taking up the habit.
Yet until governments are prepared to outlaw tobacco completely – and make no mistake, in 2011 there isn't the political will anywhere in Canada to take that huge step – the smoking and chewing debate will go on and on in ever harder and harsher terms.
In the meantime, get ready to regularly see very shocking and grotesque photographs of tobacco use at work.
- D.S.
