A British Columbia MLA has joined politicians in other provinces in calling for stricter regulations on the sale of candy-flavoured cigars to kids.
Opposition NDP health critic Adrian Dix said yesterday the province should ban the sale of flavoured cigarillos outright and ensure the plain mini-cigars are sold only in packages.
He said they're currently sold in packages of four and six and in singles that cost less than $2 each, which makes them more affordable for children.
Mr. Dix said he'll introduce a private member's bill when the B.C. legislature sits again next spring.
He said he'll also call for warnings to be placed on the packages, plastic tubes that look like brightly coloured felt markers or tubes of lip gloss.
"It's a serious issue," he said. "Youth smoking, in spite of some successes we've had over the last decade, continues to be a major problem."
Health Canada says cigarillos contain higher levels of some toxic chemicals compared to cigarettes.
Cigarettes must contain a health warning that covers no less than half the package, and Mr. Dix said it doesn't make sense that a tobacco product marketed to children is regulated at a lesser level than cigarettes.
Last week, the Ontario legislature gave third reading to a private member's bill introduced just a month earlier.
Nova Scotia has also introduced a private member's bill against cigarillos and an NDP MP has introduced one in the federal parliament.
The group Physicians For a Smoke-Free Canada wants other provinces to join Ontario, Nova Scotia and B.C. in trying to ban cigarillos, saying they're a marketing gimmick being used to hook young smokers.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, a large number of teenagers are experimenting with cigarillos, with those in Grades 10 to 12 reporting the highest use.
The society has called for federal and provincial legislation to curb the use of the tobacco products among Canadian youth, including banning flavoured cigarillos.