Retailers of Canada! NOW is the time to take on the fight against overreaching regulations and restrictions. The Health Canada is once again trying to attack your business. The new proposed Health Warnings will harm your business. In July of 2022, Health Canada published, in the Canada Gazette, part one the new health warnings (HW) proposal. https://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2022/2022-06-11/html/reg5-eng.html These proposed changes to the Health Warnings come only five months after plain packaging came into effect! The proposal outlines several major changes that will further harm the ability of product selection. These changes include:
- 75% Health Warning Label for the front and back of cigar package
- Tripling the number of Health Warning images
- Restrictive placement requirements
- Thematic messages – images expire requiring retailers to remove old health information messages and replace with new ones.
- Enforcement will require more tobacco inspections
- Introduce toxic information message on 1 side
- Health Warnings to apply to every package containing two or more of the same tobacco products. This would mean premium cigar boxes not intended for sale would be subject to plain packaging and new health warning labels.
A major concern for PCA and Canadian Tobacconists is the implementation of this legislation that constantly advances the regulations, making it deliberately hard to comply. If the industry is unable to comply, tobacconists will not have cigars to sell, and every segment of the industry will suffer. This proposal comes after a long string of anti-tobacco legislation over the past two decades.
It is time that the industry unites against proposals like these. Click the button below to contact your MP and make sure they oppose this business killing legislation! Click the link below, fill out the information and send the pre-written letter to your MP, make sure they know how this proposal will harm your business and the industry. Act now to make your voice heard!
If you are a consumer and would like to take action, click here.