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DEPART MENI or
NATIONAL HEALTH AND WELFARE
OTIAWA. CANADA
RIA LASI- I 19 71-9 5
vof: June 10, 19 71
t
BILL WOULD BAN ALL CIGARETTE
ADVERTTSING AND PROMOTJON
OTTAWA A bill banning all advertising and promotion of cigarette
products from January 1, 1972, was introduced in the Commons today
by the Hon. John Munro, Minister of National Health and Welfare.
"The Cigarette Products Act", Mr. Munro said, "will prohibit
Canadian manufacturers from promoting cigarette products on tele-
vision, radio, in print,' or by means of premiums or coupons."
The bill, given first reading today, covers the major
recommendations of the 1969 Report of the Standing Committee on
Health, Welfare and Social Affairs on Tobacco and Cigarette Smoking.
The bill bans also the manufacture or importation for sale,
or the sale of cigarette products with tar/nicotine levels above
those recommended by the Minister;
- makes it mandatory to print tar/nicotine levels of the
product on each.cigarctte package;
- requires the health hazard warning on all packages,
"WARNING: DANGER TO HEALTH INCREASES WITH'AMOUNT SMOKED", and
"AVOID INHALING" in-English and Frencb;
- provides maximum penalties of up to $100,000, or up to
five years in jail, or both, for conviction on indictment; and up
to S10,000, or two years, or both, on summary conviction.
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"As the 1969 Committee Report pointed out, 11 Mr. Munro said,
"It is well established that cigarette smoking is a serious health
hazard and is one of the major preventable causes of disease with
which we can and must deal.
"Some idea of the magnitude of the problem can be gained,"
Mr. Munro said, "from realizing that most cases of lung cancer are
attributable to cigarette smoking and that lung cancer has become
the leading cause of death from cancer in Canada. Cigarette
smoking also is a major contributor to death and disability from
heart attacks and chronic respiratory diseases. ". Mr. Munro noted
that the World Health Organization, at its general assembly in
may, adopted a resolution calling on all W. H. 0. member states to
give "all possible" consideration to implementing recommendations
aimed at curbing the hazards to health due to cigarette smoking.
The recommendations included the eventual elimination of all
cigarette advertising.
The 1969 Report said that an outright ban on cigarettes
was unrealistic.
"It is obvious that reducing the hazards of cigarette
smoking demands a high public health priority and that health
education is not enough,," Mr. Munro said. He referred to surveys
carried out by the Domin,ion Bureau of Statistics for his Department
since 1964 that showed while the percentage of adult male cigarette
smokers in Canada had decreased, the percentage of smokers among
adult females and teenage boys had remained about the same and
had increased substantially among teenage girls.
As the Standing Committee pointed out,. Mr. Munro said,
"It may seem desirable at first glance to ban the products, but
we cannot seriously consider such a step and I do not think
responsible opinion has adv6cated it.
"However, we can do something -about advertising. A
good deal has been said about the effects of advertising and the
extent to which it encourages people to smoke. It all boils down
to the fact that while a total ban on cigarettes is not feasible,
it is not acceptable to promote the use of a major health hazard.,,
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The Standing Committee held hearings between December 1968
and June 1969. It heard from major voluntary and professional health
organizations, individual authorities, wholesalers, broadcasterst as
well as tobacco growers, manufacturers and workers.' Committee chair-
man then was Dr. Gaston Isabelle, MP for Hull* now Parliamentary
Secretary to the Minister.
Mr. Munro said that cigarettes imported for sale are subject
to the same regulations as cigarettes made in Canada.
The bill provides for the Governor-in-Council to fix by
regulation the maximum amount of nicotine, tar or other constituents
that may be contained in the smoke from a cigarette product. it
provides also that regulations recommended by the Minister establish
the maximum amount of nicotine and other constituents that may be
contained in cigarette tobacco. (The distinction between smoke and
tobacco is made because tar is produced only on smoking; nicotine
is a natural constituent.)
Mr. Munro said his Department, along with the Department
of Agriculture and the Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce,
would consult with the tobacco manufacturing and growing industries
in connection with the establishment of tar/nicotine levels.
The Standing Committee recommended that health hazard
warnings as well as tar/nicotine content level be mandatory in all
advertising and on all packages, and this is required in the legis-
lation regarding packaging.
The bill also provides that no person shall directly or
indirectly, by any means whatever, promote the sale of any cigarette
product.
It excepts a person who exposes and identifies such products
inside his place of business. If he sells by automatic vending
machine, he can display on it such informption as necessary to
identify the product. The Standing Committee recommended that a
health hazard warning and tar/nicotine levels be placed on vending
machines and this is required in the legislation.
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Under the bill heaviest penalties - up to $100,000 fine
on conviction upon indictment - would fall on anyone advertising
or promoting a cigarette product or manufacturing or importing
for sale a product with tar/nicotine or other constituent levels
above those prescribed by legislation. In the case of a corpora-
tion, an officer, director or agent would be liable to the penalties.
A person who sells a cigarette product with tar/nicotine
or other constituent levels exceeding the maximum amount prescribed
or without the prescribed warning and statement would be liable to
a fine of up to $1,000 or six months, or both, on summary conviction;
or a fine of up to $5,000, or up to one year, or both, on indictment.
The bill also:
- prevents the sale of cigarettes not bearing a circum-
ferential line (This is a warning that tar and nicotine concentrations
increase as the butt becomes shorter);
prohibits the free distribution of cigarettes for promo-
tional purposes;
- prohibits manufacturers from claiming that smoking is safe
because the cigarette.complies witll the law;
provides for the appointment by the Minister of cigarette
products inspectors and analysts.
30
IS-96
Ref: Donald M. Rennie
Tel: (613) 996-4950
68ZI25474