Provincial ban on flavoured tobacco begins New Year's Day

Customers at smoke shopsare going to have less to choose from in the new year, because of a new provincial banon flavoured tobacco.

The new legislation, aimed atdiscouragingsmoking is coming into effect on New Year's Day.

Prohibited products will include flavoured cigars, flavoured papers, menthol cigarettesand flavoured cigarillos.

Angela Boudreau works at the Brilliant Smoke Shop in Fredericton. She saidcustomers are upset about the new legislation, and think it's unfair.

"The ones that use them are very unhappy," saidBoudreau.

Brilliant Smoke Shop has been gettingrid of some of theproducts andonly hasa few flavoured tobacco brands left for people to buy before the ban comes into effect.

"A lot of them are saying they're going to quit, a lot are bulk-ordering right now, and other than that their plans are to go to P.E.I. or Quebec to get them," said Boudreau.

This change is part of the provincial government's plan to discourage smoking and promote a healthier province. In Julythe same legislation made electroniccigarettes equivalent to regular cigarettes in the eyes of the law.

Barbara Walls from the New Brunswick Lung Association is pleased with the steps the government has taken. She saidthat of the high school students who use tobacco in New Brunswick, over 50 per cent are using flavoured tobacco.

"It's important to not have a product that's so enticing available so readily. Youth are turning to it. People also think it's a tool to help them quit smoking," said Walls.

Walls saidwhat needs to be looked at now, is the people who are currently struggling with addiction.

"I think we need to balance not only banning and restricting the accessibility to tobacco products and flavoured tobacco and e-cigarettes, but we also need to come up with a very concise and consistent support program."