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Province plans to restrict tobacco sales
Under proposed legislation, tobacco will no longer be available in pharmacies and health-care facilities, or through vending machines. (FILE PHOTO)
The Selinger government plans to ban the sale of tobacco in pharmacies and health-care facilities as well as through vending machines.
Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau introduced the enabling legislation this afternoon.
The government said the proposed legislation meets standards suggested by the Manitoba Society of Pharmacists and the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association.
Under Bill 17, large stores that contain pharmacies within them, such as Safeway, Superstore and Shoppers Drug Mart, will also be banned from selling tobacco. There are 101 such stores in Manitoba.
Rondeau said the province will give stores and health institutions plenty of time to comply. The law is not expected to take effect until May 2013.
"Tobacco takes a terrible toll on the health of Manitobans and costs $237 million annually in related health costs," Rondeau said. "Research has shown that making it harder to buy tobacco products helps reduce the number of smokers and helps prevent youth from taking up smoking in the first place."
He said there are only 17 vending machines left in Manitoba that sell cigarettes.
History
Updated on Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at 3:34 PM CDT: Updates with more info and quotes from Rondeau
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