Canada wants to prevent kids from picking up the unhealthy habit of smoking cigarettes.
To do it, the country is removing branding from packages of tobacco products, the Wall Street Journal reported.
On Tuesday, Canada’s Health Minister Jane Philpott said that plain packaging would become a requirement, forcing companies to use a standard color, size, and shape for the products. The government’s goal is to curb companies from advertising to those under 18 and to dissuade them from picking up an addiction to tobacco.
“I don’t believe tobacco companies should be allowed to build brand loyalty with children, for a product that could kill them,” said Philpott in an interview with the newspaper. “Research shows that plain packaging of tobacco products is an effective way to deter people from starting to smoke and will bolster our efforts to reduce tobacco use in Canada.”
Other countries have set a similar precedent in recent years. The U.K. switched to plain packaging last month, while Australia implemented it in 2012 (becoming the first country to do so). France, Ireland, and Hungary are also among the countries making the change.
