MPPs furious over 'kiddie' cigars

November 28, 2008

Comments on this story (48)

Robert Benzie

QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF

A movement to butt out candy-flavoured cigarillo "singles" aimed at children and teens is gaining steam at Queen's Park.

MPPs yesterday pushed a rare bipartisan effort to curb the easily accessible small cigars that are imported from the U.S. and India, and cost between $1 and $1.25 a piece.

They usually come in tubes or small boxes resembling lip-gloss or candy, with brand names like Happy Hour, Bravo and Café Crème, in flavours like chocolate, grape, peach and piña colada.

"They look like a pack of Crayola (crayons) ... and they smell like candy," said NDP MPP France Gélinas, who is co-sponsoring the private members bill with Liberal MPP Dave Levac (Brantford).

They want the flavouring additives banned and makers forced to sell the cigarillos in costlier packages of 20. The colourfully packaged products are exempt from cigarette laws because they are wrapped in tobacco leaf, not paper, and are thus considered cigars.

Michael Perley, director of the Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco, said the cigarillos have "been flying under the radar" and are widely used.

In 2001, 50,000 of the singles were sold across Canada, skyrocketing to 80 million in 2006.

Health Promotion Minister Margarett Best strongly endorsed the MPPs' legislation, which passed second reading late yesterday by a vote of 32-4.

"I will support this piece of legislation," said Best, a mother of three who has been lobbying Ottawa to enact similar measures.

But Progressive Conservative MPP Peter Shurman (Thornhill), one of the four Tories to vote against the bill, noted it is already illegal to sell any type of tobacco to someone under 19.

"Another ban? Kill me now," said Shurman, adding if the Liberals really wanted to crimp teen smoking, they'd stop the flood of cheap contraband cigarettes coming from native reserves.

Toronto Star

Editor's Picks