Canada

Canada became the first country to implement pictorial health warnings on cigarette packages in June 2001. Health warnings were required to cover 50% of the front and 50% of the back of the package (one side in English and the other side in French). A message was required to appear on the inside of each package, either on the slide or on an insert. Canada required tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and benzene emission numbers to appear on the side of packages. Two numbers appeared from each emission: one from the ISO and one from the Health Canada machine smoking method.

A new set of 16 health warnings were implemented in 2012. The new warnings are larger and must cover 75% of the front and back of cigarette and little cigar packages. As of March 1, 2012, manufacturers and importers were prohibited from distributing products without the new health warnings. Retailers were given 3 months (until June 19, 2012) to transition to packages displaying the new warnings.

Canada prohibits the terms “light” and “mild” from appearing on packages.

Plain packaging is under formal consideration in Canada. On May 31, 2016, the Health Minister launched a three-month public consultation about the proposed plain packaging requirements for tobacco products.

Legislation and Regulations

Canada’s Legislation Library

Health Warning Reports, Publications & Presentations

Canada’s Health Warning Document Library

Plain Packaging Reports, Publications & Presentations

Canada’s Plain Packaging Document Library

Tobacco Package Images

Canada’s Cigarette Package Gallery

Health Warnings

2012 to Present**

Exterior Packaging of Cigarettes

Canada 2012 Addiction - lived experience, dying - eng
Addiction
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 Addiction - lived experience, dying - fr
Addiction
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 Addiction - lived experience, targets parents - eng
Addiction
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 Addiction - lived experience, targets parents - fr
Addiction
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012  ETS baby - targets parents, SIDS -cigars eng
ETS – Baby
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012  ETS baby - targets parents, SIDS -cigars fr
ETS – Baby
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 ETS baby - targets pregnant women - cigars eng
ETS – Baby
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 ETS baby - targets pregnant women - cigars fr
ETS – Baby
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 ETS children - lived experience, asthma - cigars eng
ETS – Child
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 ETS children - lived experience, asthma - cigars fr
ETS – Child
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 ETS children - lived experience, children - cigars eng
ETS – Child
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 ETS children - lived experience, children - cigars fr
ETS – Child
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 Health Effects death - lived experience, morgue, die younger - cigars eng
Health Effects – Death
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 Health Effects death - lived experience, morgue, die younger - cigars fr
Health Effects – Death
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 Health Effects eye - vision loss, gross - cigars eng
Health Effects – Eye
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 Health Effects eye - vision loss, gross - cigars fr
Health Effects – Eye
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012  Health Effects heart - diseased organ, heart disease - eng
Health Effects – Heart
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012  Health Effects heart - diseased organ, heart disease - fr
Health Effects – Heart
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012  Health Effects lung - lived experience, emphysema -eng
Health Effects – Lung
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012  Health Effects lung - lived experience, emphysema -fr
Health Effects – Lung
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 Health Effects lung - lived experience, lung cancer - eng
Health Effects – Lung
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 Health Effects lung - lived experience, lung cancer - fr
Health Effects – Lung
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012  Health Effects mouth - mouth cancer, gross - cigars eng
Health Effects – Mouth
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012  Health Effects mouth - mouth cancer, gross - cigars fr
Health Effects – Mouth
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 Health Effects other - bladder cancer - eng
Health Effects – Other
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 Health Effects other - bladder cancer - fr
Health Effects – Other
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012  Health Effects other - lived experience, throat cancer - eng
Health Effects – Other
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012  Health Effects other - lived experience, throat cancer - fr
Health Effects – Other
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 Health Effects other - targets young women, physical effects of smoking - eng
Health Effects – Other
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 Health Effects other - targets young women, physical effects of smoking - fr
Health Effects – Other
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012  Health Effects stroke - lived experience - eng
Health Effects – Stroke
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012  Health Effects stroke - lived experience - cigars fr
Health Effects – Stroke
Canada
2012 (back)

Exterior Packaging of Little Cigars

Canada 2012  Addiction - lived experience, occassional smoking - cigars eng
Addiction
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012  Addiction - lived experience, occassional smoking - cigars fr
Addiction
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012  Health Effects lung - lived experience, chronic bronchitis - cigars eng
Health Effects – Lung
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012  Health Effects lung - lived experience, chronic bronchitis - cigars fr
Health Effects – Lung
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012  Health Effects other - lived experience, throat cancer - cigars eng
Health Effects – Other
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012  Health Effects other - lived experience, throat cancer - cigars fr
Health Effects – Other
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 Health Effects lung - xray, lung cancer - cigar eng
Health Effects – Lung
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 Health Effects lung - xray, lung cancer - cigar fr
Health Effects – Lung
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 Addiction - lived experience, targets parents - cigars eng
Addiction
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 Addiction - lived experience, targets parents - cigars fr
Addiction
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012  ETS baby - targets parents, SIDS -eng
ETS – Baby
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012  ETS baby - targets parents, SIDS -fr
ETS – Baby
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 ETS baby - targets pregnant women -eng
ETS – Baby
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 ETS baby - targets pregnant women - fr
ETS – Baby
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 ETS children - lived experience, asthma - eng
ETS – Child
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 ETS children - lived experience, asthma - fr
ETS – Child
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 ETS children - lived experience, children - eng
ETS – Child
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 ETS children - lived experience, children - fr
ETS – Child
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 Health Effects death - lived experience, morgue, die younger - eng
Health Effects – Death
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 Health Effects death - lived experience, morgue, die younger - fr
Health Effects – Death
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 Health Effects eye - vision loss, gross - eng
Health Effects – Eye
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 Health Effects eye - vision loss, gross - fr
Health Effects – Eye
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012  Health Effects heart - diseased organ, heart disease - cigar eng
Health Effects – Heart
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012  Health Effects heart - diseased organ, heart disease - cigar fr
Health Effects – Heart
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012  Health Effects mouth - mouth cancer, gross - eng
Health Effects – Mouth
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012  Health Effects mouth - mouth cancer, gross - fr
Health Effects – Mouth
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 Health Effects other - bladder cancer - cigars eng
Health Effects – Other
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 Health Effects other - bladder cancer - cigars fr
Health Effects – Other
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012 Health Effects other - targets young women, physical effects of smoking - cigars eng
Health Effects – Other
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012 Health Effects other - targets young women, physical effects of smoking - cigars fr
Health Effects – Other
Canada
2012 (back)
Canada 2012  Health Effects stroke - lived experience - cigars eng
Health Effects – Stroke
Canada
2012 (front)
Canada 2012  Health Effects stroke - lived experience - fr
Health Effects – Stroke
Canada
2012 (back)

Interior Messages

Quitting - interior message, benefits - eng
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, benefits - fr
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, cough - eng
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, cough - fr
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, cravings - eng
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, cravings - fr
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, guilt - eng
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, guilt - fr
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, keep trying - eng
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, keep trying - fr
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, never too late - eng
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, never too late - fr
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, pregnancy - eng
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, pregnancy - fr
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, quitline - eng
Quitting
Canada
2012
Quitting - interior message, quitline - fr
Quitting
Canada
2012

Toxic Emission Statements (Side Panel)

2001 to 2012**

Can 2000 Addiction - addictive, pile of burning cigarettes
Addiction
Canada
2001
Can 2000 Addiction - toxic chemicals, pile of burning cigarettes
Addiction
Canada
2001
Can 2000 Addiction - targets parents, children copying parents
Addiction
Canada
2001
Can 2000 Constituents - hydrogen cyanide
Chemicals
Canada
2001
Can 2000 ETS baby - targets pregnant women, baby
ETS – Baby
Canada
2001
Can 2000 ETS baby - targets pregnant women
ETS – Baby
Canada
2001
Can 2000 ETS children - targets parents
ETS – Child
Canada
2001
Can 2000 ETS general - second hand smoke
ETS – General
Canada
2001

** The images contained in this gallery are subject to Canadian copyright laws. Any duplication, reproduction, or use without the express consent of said party is prohibited. Countries should be contacted individually for usage of images.