Photo: Russia Today.

Ottawa, August 6 (RHC)-- Canada is the first country in the world to require every cigarette to have health warnings in order to "reduce the appeal of tobacco," the North American nation's Health Ministry said.

The new regulations went into effect last August 1 and will be implemented gradually over the next two years. Large-size cigarettes will be the first to display such warnings in July next year, while full-size and small cigarettes will do so in April 2025.

Messages such as "poison in every puff," "cigarettes cause impotence," "cigarettes cause leukemia," "cigarettes cause cancer," "tobacco smoke is harmful to children," or "cigarettes damage your organs" will appear in English and French - Canada's two official languages - around the filter of each cigarette. In addition, they are expected to change every two to three years, depending on the product.

The labeling of individual cigarettes is in addition to the obligation to include warnings on each pack. The country was also a pioneer in this measure, implementing it in 2001. Subsequently, a ban on smoking in enclosed spaces was enacted.

In recent years, smoking rates have been steadily declining in Canada. In May, statistics were released revealing that only 10% of Canadians smoke regularly. The government's current goal is to reduce that rate by half.

According to official data, tobacco use kills nearly 48,000 people in the country each year.