History
Health warnings on cigarette packages were first mandated by federal law in 1989, introducing four text-only messages. This marked a significant improvement over previous voluntary warnings in Canada, which included the ineffective advice to smokers to “Avoid Inhaling.”
In 1994, a new set of eight warnings was introduced. These warnings occupied the top 35% of each main display area on cigarette packs and were very direct:
- “Cigarettes cause fatal lung disease”
- “Cigarettes cause strokes and heart disease”
- “Tobacco smoke causes fatal lung disease in non-smokers”
- “Cigarettes are addictive”
- etc.
These warnings quickly gained international recognition, with countries such as Australia, Thailand, and Poland adopting the Canadian system. The 1994 warnings also inspired legislative proposals in the United States and, more recently, in the European Union.
However, in 1995, the Supreme Court of Canada declared large parts of the Tobacco Products Control Act (TPCA) unconstitutional, eliminating the legal foundation for imposing health warnings. The court accepted the tobacco industry’s argument that companies should have the right to attribute the warnings to the federal government rather than printing them without attribution.
Following the TPCA decision, manufacturers chose to continue printing the warnings on their packages, with some adding an attribution like “Health Canada,” the federal Department of Health. This decision was likely influenced by the industry’s realization that removing the warnings could result in significant legal challenges, such as lawsuits for deceptive marketing or selling a defective product.
In 1997, Parliament passed the Tobacco Act, reinstating restrictions on tobacco advertising and granting the government authority to regulate cigarette packaging and content.
Shortly after, major health organizations, including NSRA, led the creation of the National “Tobacco OR Kids” Campaign to advocate for effective regulations under the Act, including mandatory health warnings.
In January 1999, the federal government introduced a set of text-only messages to initiate public discussion on a new warning system. Although these messages were designed to occupy 60% of each main panel on cigarette packs, they faced criticism for lacking illustrations or photos and for being overly scientific in tone.
A few months later, the “Tobacco OR Kids” campaign responded with its own proposal: a series of straightforward, plain-language warnings accompanied by photographs depicting the various dangers of tobacco products. Mockups of these warnings were distributed to Members of Parliament and other decision-makers.
In January 2000, federal Health Minister Allan Rock unveiled a new set of warnings similar to the “Tobacco OR Kids” proposal. These included plain-language warnings with photos on the outside of cigarette packs and additional information, particularly about quitting, inside the packaging.
After several rounds of consultations, regulations under the Tobacco Act were published in the Canada Gazette and submitted to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health in May 2000. The committee unanimously supported the proposed regulations, a decision that was affirmed by the full House on June 8th.
The new regulations became law on June 26th. Manufacturers had until December 23rd, 2000, to apply the warnings to brands with a market share of 2% or more. Smaller brands were given an additional six months to comply.
The federal government successfully defended the new warning system in a legal battle, ensuring its implementation.
Details of the New System
The new system includes both external and internal warnings. The top 50% of each of the two main panels on cigarette packages must display health warnings—one in English and one in French. Similar requirements apply to other tobacco products, such as pipe tobacco, cigars, and chewing tobacco.
Each external warning features an illustration, typically a photograph, a prominent marker word like “WARNING” in red or yellow, a short summary sentence (e.g., “CIGARETTES ARE HIGHLY ADDICTIVE”), and a brief explanation (e.g., “Studies have shown that tobacco can be harder to quit than heroin or cocaine.”). For cigarettes, 16 warnings have been mandated, while a smaller selection applies to other tobacco products, which represent a minor segment of the Canadian market.
Inside each pack, manufacturers must include one of 16 more detailed messages, each approximately five paragraphs long. Half of these messages provide information about quitting, and the other half offer more detailed information about the health damage caused by tobacco. For example, one warning addresses the question, “Can tobacco cause brain injury?”
Purpose of the Warnings
The new health messages have garnered global media attention, with most reports highlighting the use of graphic photographs. Headlines like “Canada to require grotesque new tobacco labels” reflect this focus. Consequently, some have interpreted the new warning system as an attempt to “scare smokers into submission” or to deter young people from trying cigarettes through graphic imagery.
In reality, the primary objective of the new warnings is to convey information effectively. In Canada, most consumers are generally aware that “smoking is bad for you,” and there is a strong public association between cigarettes and lung cancer or emphysema. However, many consumers are unaware of the extent of the risks: cigarettes kill about one in two long-term users, making smoking far more dangerous than activities like driving a car, crossing a street, or breathing city air.
Additionally, consumers lack awareness of many specific health conditions caused by tobacco, including cancers other than lung cancer, strokes, heart attacks, impotence, and gangrene. For instance, few people realize that tobacco-related cardiovascular disease kills more people than lung cancer.
Regarding second-hand smoke, medical authorities in numerous countries agree that there is a significant health risk for exposed non-smokers. However, the tobacco industry has vigorously disputed these findings, sometimes through covert funding of supposedly independent scientists, which has hindered public awareness of these risks. Five of the new warnings specifically address the health effects of tobacco smoke on non-smokers.
Do Smokers Need This Type of Blunt, Detailed Message?
Cigarette manufacturers have a long history of neglecting their obligations to customers, downplaying the health risks of tobacco, and attempting to overshadow health information with widespread advertising that portrays cigarettes as normal products with glamorous associations.
Due to this history of deception, the tobacco industry has faced hundreds of lawsuits in many countries. U.S. tobacco companies ultimately agreed to pay billions of dollars annually in damages to state governments.
Communicating accurate information to consumers is challenging amidst this pervasive misinformation. This difficulty is compounded by the tendency of those addicted to tobacco to ignore uncomfortable health information.
Despite this discomfort, it is noteworthy that the new Canadian warning system has received a very positive response from smokers in focus groups. Most smokers express a desire to quit, and a significant proportion plan to do so in the near future. The tobacco industry’s own polling data from the 1970s and 1980s indicate that this has been the case for a long time. Especially when health warnings are introduced alongside serious efforts to provide support for quitting, smokers are generally supportive.
Further Information
For more details on the new warnings system and related studies, various resources are available through Health Canada’s Bureau of Tobacco Control and other health organizations. These include extensive information about the labeling regulations, focus-group testing, and other research conducted to develop the new system. Additionally, proceedings from the Standing Committee on Health and materials compiled by the Canadian Cancer Society provide comprehensive insights into the impact and implementation of tobacco product warnings and labeling.
