Competition Bureau Reaches Further Agreements with Six Cigarette Companies to Stop Using "light" and "mild" on Cigarette Packages

Ottawa, July 31, 2007 – The Competition Bureau has reached agreements with A.D.L. Tobacco, Similar Tobacco Corp., Kretek International Inc., Walking Smoke Distribution Inc., Bastos Du Canada Ltée., and Abenakie Enterprises/Choice Tobacco to discontinue the use of the descriptors "light" and "mild" on their cigarette packaging by no later than December 31, 2007.

With the inclusion of the 13 brands of cigarettes affected by the agreements announced today, a total of 92 brands of cigarettes are covered by the nine agreements the Bureau has reached to date. This represents another successful effort to obtain such agreements.

In November 2006, the Competition Bureau secured agreements with Canada's three major cigarette manufacturers to voluntarily remove the descriptors "light" and "mild," and their variations, from their cigarette packaging produced after July 31, 2007.

At that time, the Bureau indicated that it would seek similar agreements from a number of smaller Canadian cigarette manufacturers who sell cigarettes described as "light" or "mild".

"We are very pleased that virtually all Canadian tobacco manufacturers have now voluntarily discontinued use of 'light' and 'mild' descriptors on their cigarettes," said Andrea Rosen, the Acting Deputy Commissioner of Competition.

Copies of all the agreements can be found on the Competition Bureau's Web site.

The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency. We contribute to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choice.

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