Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst with the Canadian Cancer Society, said he hopes the warnings printed directly on cigarettes become popular internationally, just like the package warnings did.

“This is going to set a world precedent,” Cunningham said, adding no other country has implemented such regulations. He’s hopeful that the warning will make a real difference.

“It’s a warning that you simply cannot ignore,” Cunningham said. “It’s going to reach every smoker with every puff.”

The move also drew praise from Geoffrey Fong, a professor at the University of Waterloo and principal investigator with the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project.

“This is a really potentially powerful intervention that’s going to enhance the impact of health warnings,” Fong said.

Smoking rates have been steadily falling over the years. The latest data from Statistics Canada, released last month, shows 10 per cent of Canadians reported smoking regularly. The government is seeking to cut that rate in half by 2035.

StatCan noted that roughly 11 per cent of Canadians 20 and older reported being current smokers, compared to just 4 per cent of people aged 15 to 19.

AP