"Poison in Every Sip"... Canada Issues World's First Warning Label per Gabee Unit

Insert Warning Messages on Each Cigarette to Reduce Smoking Rates
Health-Related Messages on Cigarette Packs Also to Be Strengthened

Health authorities around the world mandate the display of warning texts along with disturbing images on cigarette packs. This is to raise consumers' awareness of the harmful effects of smoking.

However, some smokers use cigarette cases to avoid seeing these warnings, and once the cigarette is taken out and smoked, the warnings are no longer visible, leading to criticism that the warnings are not very effective.

In response, Canada has decided to include warning messages on each cigarette to reduce smoking rates. This is the world's first case of attaching warning messages on a per-cigarette basis.
[Photo by Canadian Ministry of Health]

In response, Canada has decided to include warning texts on each cigarette stick to reduce smoking rates. This is the first case worldwide of attaching warnings at the individual cigarette level.

According to CNN on the 31st (local time), Canadian health authorities announced that warning texts such as "Cigarette smoke is harmful to children," "Cigarettes cause leukemia," and "Each puff contains poison" will be displayed on every cigarette stick in both English and French.

On World No Tobacco Day, May 31, Canadian health authorities stated, "The new 'Tobacco Appearance, Packaging, and Labeling Regulations' are part of the Canadian government's ongoing efforts to help adults quit smoking, protect youth and non-smokers from nicotine addiction, and further reduce the appeal of tobacco."

Typically, cigarette warnings are printed on the pack's exterior, so smokers who have already taken out a cigarette do not see the warnings. The new policy places warnings on the filter part of the cigarette, making it impossible to overlook while smoking, according to Canada.

Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society, evaluated this as "setting a global precedent by confronting smokers with warnings every time they smoke a cigarette."

Canadian health authorities have decided to display warning messages such as "Tobacco smoke is harmful to children," "Tobacco causes leukemia," and "Each puff contains poison" in both English and French on every cigarette pack.
[Photo by Canadian Ministry of Health]

Canada, which has set a goal to achieve a smoking rate below 5% by 2035, also plans to strengthen health-related messages on cigarette packs.

Jean-Yves Duclos, Canadian Minister of Health, said, "Smoking is one of the most significant public health issues in Canada and a major preventable cause of cancer and premature death. Our government is deploying all scientifically based measures to protect the health of Canadians, especially the youth."

The new regulations will take effect from August 1 and will be implemented gradually. Retailers selling cigarettes must attach the new warning texts by the end of April 2024.

For king-size cigarettes (the common size in Korea), individual warning texts must be displayed by the end of July 2024, and for regular-size cigarettes (smaller than king-size) and other types, by April 2025.