Tighten restrictions on all tobacco advertising..

July 21, 2008 - On July 1, a cigarette advertising ban kicked in Alberta, requiring retailers to remove tobacco products from sales and store them out of sight. Advertising or promoting tobacco was also banned in places that sell the product. However, advertising outside those establishments is still above-board as long as required by law, the ad also includes a warning, advising readers of lung damage that can result from smoking. A couple weeks after the ban went into effect a full-page ad of JTI-MacDonald Corp. Export 'A' cigarettes ran in an Edmonton alternative weekly, pitching a "contemporary new look" with the "same classic taste." Les Hagen, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health. "Kids are going to see those ads. We know advertising has an impact on consumption and we know young people are particularly vulnerable." Hagen is calling on the provincial and federal governments to tighten restrictions on cigarette advertising. "There should be a full ban - it's high time for the federal government to live up to their global obligations and to serve the health of Canadians." Reference: Call for tighter restrictions on cigarette advertising by MICHELLE THOMPSON, SUN MEDIA - Canada, 7/21/2008. Macdonald is the same company that launched a cigarette in December 2007 in Canada with less tobacco smell.