Alberta to phase in flavoured tobacco ban legislation, but exempts menthol
Posted Nov 13, 2014 4:27 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
EDMONTON – Alberta is phasing in a law passed last fall to ban flavoured tobacco products, but has decided to exempt menthol.
Health Minister Stephen Mandel says Alberta will have the strictest ban on flavoured tobacco in Canada, even with the menthol exemption.
“I think we’re dealing with the issues that are presented to us and finding solutions that we feel are the direction to go in a market place that has people who use tobacco, it is a legal product and people who smoke menthol, who are older people need to be consulted,” he said.
He says menthol wasn’t touched because the ban is aimed at reducing tobacco use by young people, but banning it also would have affected adult smokers.
The ban on flavoured tobacco products is to go into effect next June to give retailers time to adjust to the change.
Health and anti-smoking groups say exempting menthol is a mistake, because the minty tobacco flavour is the most popular with young people.
The federal and Ontario governments have also exempted menthol from flavoured tobacco bans, but are being urged by health advocates to reconsider.
