Ottawa Public Health wants to implement cigarette ban for anyone born after 2008, raise minimum age of smoking
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Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is recommending that Health Canada introduce a New Zealand-style law of banning an entire generation from being able to purchase tobacco and raising the minimum age for purchasing cigarettes to 21 and older.
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is recommending that Health Canada introduce a New Zealand-style law of banning an entire generation from being able to purchase tobacco and raise the minimum age for purchasing cigarettes to 21 and older.
In a submission by Ottawa medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches to Health Canada on Nov. 23, Etches made recommendations in a memo on a review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act.
Etches outlines a number of recommendations including a full-scale ban on anyone born after 2008 from purchasing cigarettes.
The policy to implement a generational smoking ban was championed by New Zealand, who last year banned the sale of tobacco to anyone born after Jan. 1 2009.
Less than a year after passing the world-leading tobacco ban, the country decided to scrap the policy this month. The United Kingdom is looking into passing a similar ban.
OPH is hoping to reach reduce the number of smokers to five per cent among the Canadian population, from the current 12 per cent according the Statistics Canada.
"By following a similar approach, it is recommended that Canada adapt New Zealand’s approach to reach the same five per cent target," the memo to Health Canada said.
