A historic public health achievement took place on Feb. 7, when all tobacco products sold in retail stores were required to be in plain packages. The measure comes into effect after a long battle with the tobacco industry.

While the idea of plain packaging might be new to many Canadians, it is certainly not new to the Canadian Cancer Society. For more than three decades, we have been advocating to government for the introduction of plain packaging as a way to protect kids, prevent cancer and save lives.

We have been active on this issue, joining with others, because research shows cigarette packaging is the most important type of advertising for tobacco in Canada.

The tobacco industry knows this too — that’s why they have fought so vigorously against this change and why we have been pushing back for Canadians. Policies where public health triumphs over Big Tobacco are policies that deserve substantial recognition.

The new Health Canada regulations continue to require health warnings, including graphic images pioneered in 2001, but now all brands will have the same monotonous brown base colour, basic light grey text and minimalist layout. Health warnings will stand out more and have more impact. The result, particularly for youth, is a less appealing cigarette package.

Slims and superslims cigarettes and packaging, which are marketed in a way that specifically appeals to young women and girls, have also been banned under the new regulations.

These changes are monumental and represent a historic public health victory. Before, cigarette packaging functioned like minibillboards designed to promote tobacco use.

Now, plain packaging will improve the health of Canadians by preventing cancer and other chronic diseases, and save lives. Any measure to reduce tobacco use is a positive step towards cancer control. In one year alone, about 18,100 lung cancer cases could have been prevented if no one smoked.

While this is a significant milestone in tobacco control, our work is not done. Tobacco still causes more than 45,000 deaths each year in Canada including 30 per cent of cancer deaths.

Many more measures are needed to reach the Canadian government’s commitment to reduce tobacco use to less than 5 per cent by 2035. The alarming increase in youth vaping rates, for example, is an issue that requires immediate response from federal and provincial governments.

However, as we tackle youth vaping and advance other tobacco issues, these plain packaging regulations give us hope. Success can be achieved. As the landmark regulations take effect, we can take a step back to acknowledge just how far we have come.

Canadians should celebrate this achievement in tobacco control and know that their government has taken a critical step to help reduce cancer.

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With plain packaging regulations fully in effect, we can proudly say they are the best in the world.

Correction - Feb. 24, 2020: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated the estimated number of lung cancer cases that could have been prevented in 2015 by not smoking.