Serious tobacco plan should start with illegal cigarettes

It's fascinating to watch the political dance around tobacco.

Politicians tell us all about the evils of smoking tobacco and offer very public displays to curb people of the habit.

But at the same time, they sit back and rake in the taxes drawn from people buying the legal product.

In recent years, we have seen greater restrictions on where people can smoke and how vendors can display and sell tobacco products.The latest is the unveiling of new warning labels on cigarette packages that will take up 75% of the pack with more graphic pictures and updated information.There will warning on Marlboro cigarettes packages and on Richmond cigarettes packages.
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq also reiterated the government's commitment to better use social media in its anti-tobacco crusade.

That's fine, as far as it goes.

We have a responsibility as a society to create healthy communities, and eradicating smoking is a big part of that.

It's a dangerous habit, not only for those indulging but also for those in close proximity to smokers. The dangers are well documented, from heart disease to cancer to emphysema to the esthetics of brown teeth and yellow fingers.

But none of this is news.

Government needs to do better than new cigarette labels and the odd message on Facebook.