Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to speak to the section of Bill C-11 which will amend the Tobacco Sales to Young Persons Act. Action on the proposed amendment is one more important step in our ongoing efforts to address the problem of tobacco consumption, particularly among Canadian youth.
The Tobacco Sales to Young Persons Act was proclaimed into law Tuesday, February 8, as a component of the government's anti-smuggling initiative. It raises the legal age of purchase from 16 to 18. It restricts the location of cigarette vending machines to bars, taverns and similar beverage rooms. It also increases the penalties for selling tobacco to minors.
A new range of fines has been established for any sale to persons under the age of 18 and includes sales through a vending machine. For a first offence the fine will be up to $1,000, for a second offence up to $2,000, up to $10,000 for a third offence, and for subsequent offences a fine of up to $50,000 can be levied.
The amendment now before us relates to kiddie packs of cigarettes, as they are commonly known. Kiddie packs are packages that contain fewer than 20 cigarettes and are usually available in packs of 15 and 5. I have seen these kiddie packs. They often look like a chocolate bar. It is very surprising to see these packages of cigarettes that could be any kind of a chocolate bar being sold to young people with no questions asked. It is very important we ban them.
Kiddie packs began to appear in Canadian stores in the late 1980s. Producers of tobacco products said at the time that they had taken that approach to please adult smokers but, like Canadian health organizations, I believe that their availability increases the risk that young people start smoking.
Those packages have a special appeal for young people because they look attractive and their price is lower than that of regular packages. They are more affordable for young people who do not have much money, and younger people find them easier to hide from parents and teachers. As I said, some
packages contain only five cigarettes, and look like a chocolate bar.
A poll taken in Nova Scotia in 1990 indicated that the majority of teenagers who smoke buy kiddie packs. Among sixth grade smokers, in the 11 to 13 age group, almost half of them buy kiddie packs. That research was done four years ago, but the situation is probably the same today.
Bill C-11 will prohibit the sale of packages containing fewer than 20 cigarettes. It will also prohibit tobacco manufacturers from producing packages that contain fewer than 20 cigarettes. For selling and for offering for sale kiddie packs, the legislation provides for a maximum sentence on summary conviction of a $2,000 fine or six months, or both. On conviction on indictment the maximum sentence is a fine of $100,000 or two years, or both. For producing kiddie packs the maximum sentence on a summary conviction is a $200,000 fine or six months, or both. On conviction on indictment the maximum sentence is a $500,000 fine or two years, or both.
The government recognized that the action plan to combat smuggling and the tax measures associated with it would pose health risks. Let me assure members that we are just as determined to deal with tobacco use as we are with the smuggling problem. This amendment is just one more step in our efforts to eliminate tobacco consumption.
The action plan included a very strong health component. One element of that was legislative. In this area we have taken immediate action through proclamation of the Tobacco Sales to Young Persons Act and introduction of the amendment concerning kiddie packs.
We are also moving to give more teeth to law enforcement. Some 300 Health Canada inspectors have already been designated under the law and, as an interim measure, they will be available to monitor law enforcement while carrying out other tasks. During the next two months, we will publish a training kit and new inspectors will be hired to take over and control the enforcement of the Tobacco Sales to Young Persons Act.
Other ongoing enforcement activities include sending to all retailers in Canada explanatory letters and signs. Those signs must be posted in a prominent position in all places where tobacco products are found or sold. Any retailer who refuses to post those signs indicating that it is prohibited selling tobacco products to persons less than 18 years old will be liable to a fine up to $250.
We will also put ads in newspapers to inform retailers of their obligations under the new act.
As well we are looking at what action might be taken in such areas as plain packaging and product standards. Plain packaging contains no distinctive colouring, although it would permit the use of trademarks. Many health advocates feel that plain packaging, making products less distinct and promotion much more difficult would be an effective deterrent.
In the area of products standards, we are looking forward to bringing new regulations requiring manufacturers to provide information on the packages about the chemical compounds contained in tobacco and tobacco smoke.
A comprehensive educational campaign is also being mounted. It will be aimed at the general public and at key groups, such as young people and women, and will be developed in consultation with the provincial and territorial governments and the non-government health organization.
Action has already begun on a number of promotional-educational activities. A national media campaign began last week directed primarily at young people through the radio and television stations they most often watch and listen to.
We will also be working closely with our health group and provincial government partners to develop a system for monitoring tobacco consumption, particularly by young people. The acquisition of consumption information on a regular basis will be essential in measuring the success of our initiatives and planning the development of even more effective action in the future.
Tobacco use among many groups which are hard to reach is alarming. Those groups do not usually respond to traditional anti-smoking ads. We will be making special efforts to reach them.
We will also make more efforts to reach families, new parents, health care people and other people who are important role models for children. We will support education programs and community activities.
A health surtax will be levied on profits of tobacco products makers for three years to finance special initiatives. We believe that tobacco companies are responsible and that they must pay the price.
We are looking over the next three years at one of the most concerted efforts ever undertaken in the health education field. This is the toughest program that any jurisdiction has taken against tobacco products. During the past several years our co-operative initiatives have been very successful in reducing consumption among the population over age 15. I am confident these new resources will permit us to build on those successes.
To do so will require continued co-operation and close collaboration.
I have had discussions during the past two weeks with representatives of health organizations and with provincial and territorial ministers of health. At my recent meeting with ministers of health I offered to work with them on the best way to use the resources provided in the new federal anti-smoking strategy.
My officials and I are committed to seeking the advice and assistance of these groups as together we strive to reduce the demands for tobacco, the number one cause of preventable death in Canada.