Health Minister Mike Murphy is snuffing out tobacco advertising in most New Brunswick stores.
Health Minister Mike Murphy is snuffing out tobacco advertising in most New Brunswick stores.
Starting Jan. 1, 2009, non-specialty stores that sell tobacco must hide their smokes under the counter.
But it's not clear if the advertising ban introduced Friday will apply to tobacco sales on First Nations' land.
"We will look at that," said Murphy. "There have been some agreements with First Nations in the past across this country. There are some special requirements there.
"That is a question for aboriginal affairs and intergovernmental affairs."
Traditional forms of tobacco advertising are already banned in Canada.
An Act to Amend the Tobacco Sales Act will prohibit point-of-sale advertising, such as large racks or displays of tobacco products in a store.
"These displays are sometimes referred to as powerwalls," said Murphy.
"Cigarettes and other tobacco products will have to be kept in a drawer, under the counter or in another part of the store that cannot be seen by customers."
He said he wants to keep tobacco out of the sight and minds of young, impressionable New Brunswickers.
The province is also banning advertising of tobacco outside a store, which means the end of "cheap Cigarettes" signs, he said.
Murphy said he was introducing the ban because tobacco is one of society's biggest threats to good health and is preventable.
New Brunswick has one of the highest smoking rates in Canada.
"It causes lung and other cancers," said Murphy. "It causes circulatory diseases. It causes respiratory diseases."
The legislation introduced Friday will create a new class of businesses called tobacconist shops. These specialty shops will allow tobacco products to be displayed and advertised.
But Murphy said such stores will be strictly regulated and no one under the age of 19 years will be allowed to enter unless accompanied by an adult.
Murphy said there's nothing to stop convenience stores in the province from converting to the new tobacconist shop rules, but it won't be easy.
"They would have to spend a fair amount of money," he said. "A tobacconist is not a convenience store as we know convenience stores in New Brunswick.
"There are regulations that will be brought forward."
For example, such a store would require a separate and distinct entrance, said Murphy.
Fines for violating the new rules will range from $240 to $2,620 for a first offence. A second offence will draw a fine of up to $5,120 and up to 30 days in jail.
Opposition health critic Claude Landry praised the new restrictions.
"We are the province with the second highest rate of cancer in the country," he said.
Landry said More than 57 per cent of New Brunswickers who smoke want to quit and this change will help them.
But he questioned why Murphy is waiting until 2009 when he dissolved regional health authority boards this winter without even waiting for the passage of the new health board legislation.
The Tories are filibustering that bill.
The changes won't come into effect until next year to give business time to adjust, said Murphy.
The health minister said there are no immediate plans to ban smoking in vehicles in which children are passengers.
He said he wouldn't introduce such a ban until there's a public debate on the issue.
"It is certainly something I can assure New Brunswickers is under consideration," said Murphy.
He said he didn't expect the advertising ban to increase the smuggling of Cigarettes.