The Health Minister of British Columbia has called for a ban on all flavored tobacco throughout Canada, which would expand the country’s prohibition that currently covers the use of youth-oriented flavorings in cigarettes and small cigars under 1.4 grams. In a statement issued on February 26, Terry Lake said that “in November 2013 and again in February 2014, I wrote to the federal government to encourage an enhanced ban on flavored tobacco products. We cannot let these sweet flavors soften the harshness of tobacco. Flavored tobacco can become a gateway for a young person to become dependent on or addicted to nicotine.” Lake cited an increase in the number of tobacco manufacturers that are creating flavored cigars just above that weight, circumventing the rule. He feels that the way to counteract this is to put a nationwide ban on all flavored tobacco, regardless of the size or format. British Columbia is the first province to make such a request of the federal government, but Lake has encouraged his counterparts in other provinces to echo his call for a ban.
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