New Health Canada regulations requiring health warnings to be printed directly on individual cigarettes will come into effect on Tuesday.
Announced earlier this year, the new regulations will make Canada the first country in the world to take the approach to help smokers kick the habit and protect youth from nicotine addiction.
The federal government said labelling the tipping paper of individual cigarettes, little cigars, tubes, and other tobacco products will make it virtually impossible to avoid health warnings.
The new regulations will be implemented through a phased approach that will see most measures on the Canadian market within the year.
Pictorial warning requirements for tobacco product packages were first adopted by Canada in 2000 to increase awareness of the health hazards and health effects associated with tobacco use. The current health-related messages and images on cigarette packaging have been in place since 2011.
According to Health Canada, tobacco use continues to be the leading preventable cause of illness and premature death in the country, killing approximately 48,000 Canadians each year.
