Canadian anti-smoking organizations are calling on Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq to approve with her department’s bill to require larger warning labels on cigarette packets instead of surrendering to the tobacco industry.

"The research conducted by Health Department demonstrates clearly that the bigger the health warning, the more positive effect it will produce on its target audiences," coalition of anti-smoking groups declared last week in an open letter to Ms. Aglukkaq.

In the same letter anti-smoking groups urged federal health minister to adopt new regulations, making health warnings cover minimum 75 percent of the space of each cigarette pack, and provide graphic warnings and smoking-cessation messages.

Canadian Health Department spent $3.6-million during six years on consultations related to amending the health warnings that have been first required more than a decade ago, and have already lost their intended effect.

Using the collected data, Health Canada developed mockups in which the warning labels which currently cover 50 percent of the packs would to cover three-quarters.

However the tobacco industry criticized the plan, and last week Conservative MPs voted against down a Liberal measure that would have demanded the larger graphic warnings.

The debates over the size of the health warnings continue after Ms. Aglukkaq’s declaration in early December that she was going to reveal a new tobacco strategy in the near future. It is supposed that the new strategy will comprise amended labels.

During a meeting with provincial health officials several months ago, the Health minister admitted that despite the efforts that had been done on updating the warnings on the packages, the plan for bigger and graphic health warnings on cigarette packages was put on hold, as well as the nationwide anti-smoking help line plan.

Health Canada had proposed a dozen of larger and more grievous health labels, including one of Canadian anti-smoking advocate Barbara Tarbox lying exhausted and dying in pains of lung cancer in her bed in hospital.

Pat Tarbox husband of late Mrs. Tarbox’s, stated he was told to expect a call from Health Canada in the end of December. He said he still hopes to see his wife’s image on the packs, because she wanted to make people see the consequences of tobacco smoking, and that is why she agreed to be photographed until she died.

However, the anti-tobacco organizations are afraid that the new warnings will never make it to the packs.

"We have two major fears," declaredGarfield Mahood, president of the Non-Smokers’ Rights Association. "That Health Canada will make substantial concessions to the tobacco companies, particularly in the size of the labels, and that the new strategy will be revealed at time intended to decrease criticism of the concessions.

Action on Smoking and Health Canada director Les Hagan declared he also is afraid that the strategy will be announced during the holidays.

He added that size is very important when it comes to health warnings and many studies prove that, and in addition, even Health Canada itself has carried out extensive research found that current warnings no longer have the desired effect and need to be amended.

Tim Vail, Health Canada communications director said no exact decision has been made, but is expected soon.

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