NEW TOBACCO LEGISLATION
By Adnews Staff
Health Canada is trying to stop tobacco advertising again. Yesterday federal Health Minister Diane Marleau outlined a proposal for legislation that would impose a complete ban on advertising, including point-of-sale materials, and put further restrictions on sponsorships and promotions. Warning labels would continue to be printed on packages and the government would have more power in regulating various aspects of packaging such as form, size and symbols. The Health Ministry says it will consider any comments on the proposed legislation from interested parties, if they are sent by Jan. 31. The Liberal government indicated that it may try to make tobacco a controlled substance. In the U.S., President Bill Clinton is backing the Food and Drug Administration in its bid to obtain jurisdiction over tobacco because, the FDA contends, nicotine is a drug. A Health Canada release said, "Given the unique problems associated with tobacco use, the proposed legislative framework would consist of tobacco-specific legislation encompassing the best features of other federal laws governing consumer products such as the Hazardous Products Act and the Food and Drugs Act." The Liberal legislation is in response to a September ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada that effectively stuck down the former Tory government's Tobacco Products Control Act, which banned all media advertising and allowed the government to force manufacturers to put prominent warnings about the dangers of smoking on cigarette packs.