News

Announcing world-first tobacco regulations

A man holding a broken cigarette.

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada, and is responsible for 1 in 4 cancer deaths. While more people are being diagnosed with lung cancer due to an aging and growing population, the incidence and mortality rates are declining. The most significant factor for this decline is a reduction in tobacco use. The implementation of major tobacco control policies have played a direct role in reducing the number of people who smoke tobacco in Canada.

The Canadian Cancer Society has been at the forefront of many of these policies. Today, we’re thrilled to let you know about new national regulations that, as a world-first, require a health warning directly on every individual cigarette sold in Canada. In addition, there are enhancements to the health messages required on the outside and inside of packages. These new regulations mean that Canada has the best overall tobacco health warning system in the world.

An open pack of cigarettes, with a warning label on the front and warning labels on each individual cigarette.
Warnings will appear directly on individual cigarettes with a retail deadline of July 31, 2024 for king size cigarettes (83-85 mm in length) and April 30, 2025 for regular size cigarettes (70-73 mm in length).

Thanks to supporters like you, CCS is able work to with governments to bring about healthy public policies that help prevent cancer and improve the lives of people living with cancer, and their caregivers. Together, we are making a world of difference.