Canadian Cancer Society Advocates a Ban on Flavoured Cigarillos




According to the Canadian Press, the Cancer Society of the country has called for a ban on the favourite tobacco product of teenagers - flavoured cigarillos. After conducting a large-scale national survey, the Cancer Society has come to a conclusion that a large percentage of teenagers tend to experiment with smoking cigarillos, as opposed to ordinary cigarettes. The organization predicts that, if a governmental ban on this tobacco product is imposed, fewer teenagers will be attracted to a harmful habit of smoking.


Flavoured cigarillos look appealing to teen because they come in different flavours, including those of candies, fruits, ice cream and mint. Representative of the Canadian Cancer Society Rob Cunningham points out that young people may start smoking cigarillos first due to their sweet flavour, which can later lead the kids to switch on smoking ordinary cigarettes. He also speculates that, if cigarillos were not available, many teenagers would not have started smoking tobacco products at all.

Cigarillos are not less harmful than other tobacco products, Cunningham says. They contain the addictive drug nicotine, as well as other harmful, carcinogenic substances.

Another consideration why kids choose cigarillos, not cigarettes, for their early experiments with tobacco is that flavoured cigarillos can be purchased for less since they come in smaller packages. For many teenagers, this tobacco product is also easier to get hold of.

Canadian Cancer Society spokesmen say that, due to the fact that cigarillos are wrapped in small packages, their warning labels are not as prominent as those on cigarette packs. Therefore, teenagers who obtain this dangerous tobacco product do not get sufficient warnings about the dangers of smoking.

The suggestion to ban flavoured cigarillos is based on a survey that was conducted among Grade 5 to 12 students by a University of Waterloo team of researchers. After the analysis of the survey data, the scientists came to the conclusion that up to half of all Canadian teenagers experiment with smoking by trying such tobacco products as flavoured cigars and cigarillos. The survey included 71,000 school kids throughout Canada.

Will the proposed ban, if imposed, be effective in hampering the spread of teenage smoking? Or should ALL tobacco products be made illegal in the country in order to achieve the goals proclaimed by the Canadian Cancer Society and satisfy other anti-tobacco advocates?

History teaches us that that banning a substance, be it alcohol, marijuana, or even synthetic drugs, usually leads to a thriving underground market and, like any forbidden fruit, banned cigarillos may become even more attractive for teenagers.

Darlene Marlow

Related Posts

Posted on June 24, 2008 
Filed Under Smoking and Youth, Stop Smoking, Stop Smoking News

Comments

Leave a Reply