[Intl-tobacco] Canada: Imperial Tobacco surprised at Minister's remarks but determined to continue to work with Health Canada (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

Imperial Tobacco surprised at Minister's remarks but determined to continue=
 to
work with Health Canada
by IMPERIAL TOBACCO CANADA LIMITED
Source: Canada Newswire, Monday, 8/13/01

MONTREAL, Aug. 13 /CNW/ - Following remarks made today by federal Health
Minister Allan Rock in Quebec City, Imperial Tobacco President and CEO Bob
Bexon issued the following statement :

"We are quite surprised to learn that Mr. Rock has made a definite
decision to ban "light" and "mild" product descriptors at this time, given
that the 100-day period he himself had established to review the relevant
facts has not even come to an end yet.

"Our company was in the midst of a series of meetings with Health Canada,
and sharing information with the department. We had also informed the
Minister's office that we were about to send him Imperial's position on
the issue. Hence our surprise at today's comments.

"We understand that the Minister's position is that he wants to ban these
product descriptors. However, we believe that there is a need for a system
that will permit consumers to navigate through the "tar" spectrum of brand
families on the market. Whether a new system would work better than the
current one, we do not know. Perhaps the Minister does. We can only hope
that any new system will not create confusion in the market and
inadvertently cause smokers to revert back to higher "tar" products than
would have been the case otherwise.

"We remain committed to working with the Health Department and the
Minister on this issue."

Imperial Tobacco, of Montreal, is the largest tobacco enterprise in
Canada. It holds approximately 70% of the domestic tailor-made cigarette
market and employs some 2000 people across the country.

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For further information: Michel Desc=F4teaux, Director, Public Affairs,
(514) 932 6161, extension 2361; Source: Imperial Tobacco Canada Limited