HEALTH COUNCIL ASKS FOR PLAIN PACKAGING, AD CAMPAIGN
By Adnews Staff
The Canadian Council for Tobacco Control wants the federal government to get tougher with tobacco companies to prevent kids from being addicted to cigarettes. The group has asked the government to regulate cigarette packages so that they are plain and contain strong health warnings. In addition, the group wants the government to launch a national ad campaign to tell Canadians that tobacco companies use predatory marketing practices and dishonesty. "Sophisticated and colorful packaging appeals to youth. The plain package and strengthened warning system would strip the package of its sophistication and allure," president Dr. Ron Stewart says in a release. "And it would begin the process of de-normalizing the product." The ad campaign should also de-normalize the tobacco industry and transfer normal youth rebellion from parents and teachers to the manufacturers, Non-Smokers' Rights Association executive director Garfield Mahood says in a release. "They would also create a climate of public opinion that will support the law reform needed to keep kids off the market." In addition, the organization wants all forms of tobacco promotion to be banned. The Canadian Council for Tobacco Control is made up of twenty organizations including the Canadian Institute for Child Health, the Canadian Lung Association, the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Nurses Association, the Canadian Pediatric Society, the Canadian Pharmacists Association, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Quebec College of Physicians.