'Best in the World' cigarette packaging restrictions take effect in Canada, November 9

Canadian cigarette packs will have to be plain drab brown with standardized layouts and lettering under new rules that kick in next Nov. 9. (Photo: Canadian Cancer Society

OTTAWA -- Smokers will soon see their cigarette packs stripped of logos and distinctive designs as federal rules make drab brown the default colour for tobacco brands.

Plain-packaged cigarettes have started to pop up on shelves as the tobacco industry prepares for Health Canada's regulations to take effect on Nov. 9, after which retailers will have a 90-day window to offload their remaining inventory.

All packaging will feature the same brown base colour, basic grey text and minimalist layout under the new requirements. The measures will also standardize the size and appearance of cigarettes, cigars and other products inside the packages.

Health experts and advocates say the policy positions Canada at the forefront of a global push to curb the appeal of cigarette brands, particularly among youth, and eliminate packages as pocket-sized promotions for Big Tobacco.

Rob Cunningham, a senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society, lauded Canada's plain-packaging regulations as "the best in the world," having learned from the examples of at least 13 other countries that have adopted similar measures.

Cunningham adds that Canada is leading the charge in eliminating extra-long and "slim" cigarettes, which tend to be marketed to women.