Anti-Smoking Projects Cost a Lot of Money
The federal government spent more than $3.6 million to update health warnings on cigarette packages before deciding to shelve the whole project this year, newly released internal records show. The Health Canada documents were tabled at a parliamentary committee probing why the government has failed to follow through on a long-running project to require companies to put larger, more graphic warnings on packages of Style cigarettes.
Most of the money was spent on public-opinion research, which consistently showed Canadian smokers had dulled to the old graphics and larger, more graphic images were needed.
More than $300,000 was spent on printing costs and licensing fees.
Another $496,000 was spent on developing a national quit line to appear on cigarette packs alongside health warnings covering 75 per cent of the panel’s surface -up from the current 50 per cent.
Tobacco companies have lobbied against bigger warnings on packages and have said the focus should be on cracking down on contraband cigarettes. Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq has said fighting contraband is now the government’s focus.
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