Canada Moves to Restrict Tobacco Marketing Aimed at Children

May 26 (Bloomberg) -- Canada introduced amendments to its tobacco law today to make it harder for cigarette makers to market their products to children and ban small packages of certain tobacco products -- so-called “kiddy packs.”

The legislation would ban cigarette makers from adding fruit flavors and other additives that give tobacco products a candy flavor, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaqsaid today in a statement, and would end an exemption that permits tobacco ads in publications aimed at adults.

“The changes would also require that little cigars and blunt wraps be packaged like cigarettes in minimum quantities of 20,” the statement said. “ This will put an end the industry practice of selling these products in single or small quantity ‘kiddy-packs’ that are affordable to youth.”

The new rules fulfill a promise made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper during the 2008 election campaign.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alexandre Deslongchamps in Ottawa at adeslongcham@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net; David Scanlan at dscanlan@bloomberg.net.