In addition, the tobacco companies have already lost legal fights against plain-packaging laws in two countries, Australia and Britain.
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“There’s no question about whether we’re going to proceed with plain-packaging regulations”.
The news comes at the same time that WHO Director General Dr Margaret Chan has called on governments around the world “to get ready for more plain packaging of tobacco products”.
Such policies have already passed in Australia, France, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and many more countries will soon reduce the tobacco industry’s ability to market to its customers.
Health Minister Jane Philpott says the federal government plans to consult Canadians about proposed measures to require plain packaging for tobacco products.
Examples of Australian packaging before and after plain packaging rules came into effect in 2012.
“Plain packaging is spreading to other sectors like alcohol and food”.
Canada, in several respects has been a leader, or among the leaders, in trying to reduce tobacco smoking through packaging restrictions. “Slim and superslim cigarettes target young women and associate smoking with weight loss, sophistication and glamour”.
And with similar laws taking effect earlier in May in Britain and France and various other countries set to follow suit, the World Health Organization sees the removal of logos and distinctive colors from cigarette packs becoming a global trend despite strong opposition from the tobacco industry.
“Tobacco companies should not be able to use the package as mini-billboards to promote tobacco”, adds Cunningham. “Three years’ worth of government evidence from Australia shows that plain packaging has not reduced smoking rates, the volume of tobacco consumed, or youth smoking”.
“Plain packaging prohibits the use of trademarks and therefore significantly erodes the value of this intellectual property – a risky precedent to set for commerce in general”, the letter said.
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Plain packaging means promotional packaging of tobacco products and the use of logos, colours and brand images will be restricted and tobacco products will instead bear standardized packaging with the product and brand names in a specified colour and font, and possibly with large graphic images to make them unattractive.
