In an effort to protect Alberta's minors from the harmful effects of tobacco use, the provincial government has implemented legislation which prohibits smoking in vehicles when children are present and reduces access to flavoured tobacco.
On Thursday, Alberta’s Minister of Health Stephen Mandel announced the following amendments to the Tobacco Reduction Act and Tobacco Reduction Regulation:
- Ban smoking in vehicles with minors present (effective immediately)
- Prohibit the selling, giving, lending or supplying of tobacco products to minors, similar to federal legislation (effective immediately)
- Require minimum pack sizes for specific tobacco products – this will eliminate smaller, more affordable options (effective June 1, 2015)
- Ban certain flavoured tobacco products (effective June 1, 2015)
“These changes include the strictest ban on flavoured tobacco in Canada,” said Mandel. “More than half of young tobacco users are using flavoured tobacco. By restricting access to these products, we can reduce use among youth and help our children stay healthy. Reducing the exposure of children to tobacco and reducing the overall use of tobacco products will have positive outcomes across all areas of health care.”
According to Alberta’s Ministry of Health, tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Canada. Each year approximately 3,000 deaths in Alberta are linked to tobacco use.
