Canada will soon require that health warnings be printed on individual cigarettes and cigars in a further crackdown on smoking, the government has announced.
The messaging, to be phased in from 1 August, will include lines such as "Poison in every puff", "Tobacco smoke harms children" and "Cigarettes cause cancer".
Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett said tobacco use continues to kill 48,000 Canadians each year.
The new labelling rule is a world first, she said, although the UK has considered a similar regulation.
"This bold step will make health warning messages virtually unavoidable and, together with updated graphic images displayed on the package, will provide a real and startling reminder of the health consequences of smoking," Ms Bennett said.
The Canadian government noted that some young people, who are particularly susceptible to the risk of tobacco dependence, start smoking after being given a single cigarette rather than a pack labelled with health warnings.
In 2000, Canada became the first country to order graphic warnings on packs of cigarettes - including pictures of diseased hearts and lungs - to raise awareness of the health risks associated with tobacco use.
Smoking has been trending down over the past two decades.
Canada aims to further reduce the number of smokers from the current 13% to 5% of the population - or about two million people - by 2035.
According to government data, almost half of the country's health care costs are linked to substance use.
