Canada improves ranking in cigarette health warnings

Canada ranked fourth in 2012 in the size of health warnings on cigarette packages, up from the 15th in 2010, a report said Wednesday. The International Cigarette Health Warnings report, released by the Canadian Cancer Society, ranked 198 countries and jurisdictions on the size of their health warnings on cigarette packages. It also listed countries that had finalized requirements for picture warnings. Canada's improvement followed the launch of new warnings covering 75 percent of the cigarette package in Canada. In early 2011, Canada's Health Ministry announced a two-phase plan to renew health-related labels on all tobacco products, with the first phase applying to cigarettes and little cigars and the second phase to all other tobacco products. "Canada's international ranking deserves significant praise, but a lot of work remains to be done for Canada to further improve tobacco package warning requirements," said Rob Cunningham of the Canadian Cancer Society. Today, 63 countries and jurisdictions, accounting for more than 40 percent of the world's population, have finalized picture warnings, up from 34 percent in 2010, the report said. Canada was the first country to require picture warnings on tobacco products, and the first to require the pictures to cover 50 percent of the package. Australia ranked first in this year's report, which has 82.5 percent of the package front and back covered by health warnings.