Flavoured Cigarillos Off Store Shelves July 5

"Canada's tough new anti-tobacco law, Bill C-32, comes into effect at stores near you on July 5. Retailers will no longer be allowed to sell fruit- and candy-flavoured cigarillos (little cigars), cigarettes, and blunt wraps (rolling papers made of tobacco).

"This is the best legislation in the world restricting flavoured tobacco," says Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society. "We applaud the federal government and parliament for standing up to the tobacco industry.

"There is simply no justification for tobacco products to be flavoured with candy, ice cream and fruit flavours. The risk is that these flavoured products can be a starter product for kids who would never otherwise start smoking. This bill is going to protect our kids from starting smoking and encourage more adults to quit."

In fact, according to the most recent Youth Smoking Survey, there is a shockingly high rate of youth experimentation with cigarillos, almost all of which are flavoured. The survey for the 2008-09 school year found that 40 per cent of students in grades 10-12 had tried smoking cigarillos, and that 18 per cent had done so in the past month.

As of July 5, store-owners caught selling the illegal tobacco products will be subject to potential enforcement action, including fines."--from website.

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