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Youth advocates and the New Democratic Party teamed up today at Queen’s Park to renew efforts to butt-out flavoured tobacco products in Ontario.

Members of the Canadian Cancer Society dressed as fruit staged a tug of war outside the legislature against what they call “big tobacco”.

This isn’t the first time legislation has been called for to ban the products many feel target the province’s youth. With the re-introduction of a private member’s bill, NDP MPP France Gelinas says she is willing to work with the government and do anything to put the ban “over the finish line”.

Both Gelinas and advocates say the they will continue to expose the marketing tools of the tobacco companies, because the health of future generations of Ontarians is at stake. “How can you look at this and say that this is not for kids? It has the colours, it has the packaging, it has the marketing.”

“I would say most people my age have never seen those. Why? Because we are not the target audience.”

Youth advocate Janika Francis says her age group is the tobacco industry’s target. “They themselves admitted that if they don’t sell to youth they will be out of business for the next 30 years, so it’s up to us to defend ourselves and take action against these child-preying predators.”

Gelinas says the last time legislation was introduced, the tobacco companies found a loophole and simply added more tobacco to their products. This time the bill will focus the ban on all flavoured products of any size, including menthol cigarettes.