Item - 2016.HL13.8
Tracking Status
- This item was considered by Board of Health on July 4, 2016 and was adopted without amendment.
HL13.8 - Plain and Standardized Packaging of Tobacco Products
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Adopted
- Wards:
- All
Board Decision
The Board of Health:
1. Requested the Minister of Health to enact legislation to require plain and standardized packaging for all tobacco products in Canada; and
2. Requested the Medical Officer of Health to submit comments to Health Canada on their "Consultation on 'Plain and Standardized Packaging' For Tobacco Products" document on proposed measures for regulating the appearance, shape, and size of tobacco packages and products.
Origin
Summary
Consumption of tobacco products and exposure to second hand smoke are leading causes of preventable death in Canada. Tobacco products contain a myriad of chemicals that are associated with significantly elevated risk for lung cancer, other respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular disease.
The tobacco industry uses packaging as a key mechanism to market their products to new and current smokers. Evidence has shown that the branding strategies employed by the industry are particularly effective when marketing to women and youth.
Several countries around the world have implemented plain packaging policies, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and France. Studies have shown that plain packaging reduces the appeal of tobacco products, increases the effectiveness of health warnings, and reduces the utility of packaging as a way to mislead consumers about the harms associated with smoking. The World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco supports the implementation of plain packaging policies as a means to retain the effectiveness of health warnings on packages.
At its meeting on November 22, 2010, the Board of Health endorsed the Tobacco Strategy Advisory Group (TSAG) report entitled "Building on Our Gains, Taking Action Now: Ontario's Tobacco Control Strategy for 2011-2016", and its recommendations to the Ontario Minister of Health Promotion and Sport. The TSAG report recommended that the Province mandate plain and standardized packaging to prevent the use of customized packaging and branding to strategically market tobacco products.
In his November 2015 Minister of Health Mandate Letter, Prime Minister Trudeau highlighted the establishment and implementation of plain and standardized packaging for tobacco products as a top priority. In May 2016, Health Canada released a document entitled, "Consultation on 'Plain and Standardized Packaging' For Tobacco Products", outlining proposed regulatory measures on plain and standardized packaging. This has created a crucial opportunity to advocate for action on this issue at the federal level.
Background Information
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2016/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-94309.pdf