Published on July 6, 2009
According to the bill recently passed by House of Commons, the lower chamber of Canadian government all flavors in all tobacco-containing products, excluding menthol would be outlawed.
The debatable Canadian ordinance was approved among a controversial issue with “Buy American” clause of the $787 federal stimulus plan, which demanded U.S. production in all projects unless that had not interfered with international trade agreements.
The Canadian legislation is aimed at making cigarettes and other tobacco-containing products less luring and accessible to minors by imposing multiply restrictions like advertising and packaging, and as well banning flavorings in cigarettes that attract teenagers.
At the same time the list of banned flavorings will as well comprise mild flavorings added while manufacturing American-blend tobacco products produced from burley tobacco. The burly sort of tobacco is put in order to make the cigarettes taste less harsh and is not perceptible while smoking, according to Peter Maki, burley tobacco grower from Kentucky.
The burley tobacco is used in production of such world-famous brands like Marlboro and Camel. Therefore, U.S. legislators claim the ban on flavored tobacco would essentially prohibit leading American-blend cigarettes.
Virginia senator Eric Cantor wrote a letter to the ambassador stating that recently signed U.S. tobacco regulations banned flavorings as candy or cherry in tobacco products but did not touch “non-characterizing” flavorings like that of burley tobacco. Cantor mentioned that he has been seriously preoccupied by Canadian legislation.
Canadian government has opposed “Buy American” ordinance for hitting Canadian businesses, and has aspired an exemption from it. And currently it is the turn of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to criticize neighbor’s bill that would unfairly hit products made in the United States.
Ronald Foisey, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce International affairs Department said that they find it unfairly that Canadian legislators essentially prefer one product over the others in such way that inevitably hurts U.S. goods.
Kentucky delegates in U.S. Congress even wrote a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging her to act instantly in order to prevent the menace to a significant segment of US agriculture and save numerous jobs in that sector.
The Congressmen assert that American-blend cigarettes present the same threat to health as Virginia-blend cigarettes, which would not be prohibited under the legislation. Therefore, when there is ho scientific evidence that the product is more hazardous than others it would be considered as a violation of NAFTA and WTO agreements.
Sybille Larose, spokesperson for Canadian Department of Health said the bill would ban all flavorings and not just that of burley tobacco, since the sweet cigarettes have been proven to attract children to cigarettes and the lawmakers are entitled to protect young Canadians from the hazards of picking up the smoking habit.
She stated that the government is entitled to approve such laws and they do not violate any international agreements since they are aimed at enhancing public health.
