On May 31, 2023, World No Tobacco Day, the Canadian government announced final regulations to require a health warning to appear directly on every cigarette, a world first. The announcement has received extensive international attention, and has been praised by the Canadian Cancer Society and other health organizations.

"A health warning on every individual cigarette is innovative and world precedent setting," says Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society. "The measure means that health messaging will be conveyed with every cigarette and every puff, will be there during every smoke break, and will reach youth who experiment by borrowing cigarettes from a friend. This measure will reduce smoking and the appeal of cigarettes, thus preventing cancer and other diseases."

It is expected that many countries will follow Canada's example and adopt this measure, just as there are now more than 130 countries/territories that have required picture warnings for cigarette packages, following the Canadian precedent implemented in 2001. In many countries cigarettes are often sold individually without packaging – in these countries, warnings directly on cigarettes have the potential for even greater impact.

For the Canadian warnings directly on cigarettes, there will be 2 sets of 6 warnings, with sets changed in rotation. As illustrated in the mock-ups provided by the Canadian Department of Health ("Health Canada"), the warnings will appear on the filter end of the cigarette, with black text on a white background, in upper case letters, in both English and French. The implementation deadline for the first set will be April 30, 2024, at the manufacturer level and July 31, 2024, at the retail level for cigarettes that are 83-85 mm in length (which is the standard cigarette length internationally, and which in Canada is called "King Size" length) and April 30, 2025, at the retail level for cigarettes that are 70-73 mm in length. In Canada, King Size cigarettes represent 69% of the cigarette market (2021).

The new Canadian regulations will also enhance the health messages required on the outside and inside of packages. A new round of 14 picture warnings on the package exterior will be required to appear on 75% of the package front and back by April 30, 2024, with a second new set of 14 picture warnings to appear 24 months later. Enhanced messages on the package interior will also be required at retail by April 30, 2024. Canada first required health messages inside cigarette packages in 2001, either on an insert for flip-top packages, or on the "slide" of slide and shell packages. Today Canada remains the only country that has required a health warning on the package interior, in addition to the package exterior, with "slide and shell" now the only permitted format for cigarette packaging in the country.

The global trend in requiring picture warnings, warnings with increased size, and plain packaging, is outlined in the seventh edition of a report by the Canadian Cancer Society, dated October 2021. For plain packaging, which removes branded colours and logos, and uses a standard background colour for all brands (eg drab brown), there are now at least 25 countries/territories that have final requirements, beginning with Australia in 2012 and including Canada in 2019.

The World Health Organization reports that tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year, that 80% of the world's tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries, and that in 2020 22.3% of the world's population used tobacco, including 36.7% of all men and 7.8% of the world's women. Smoking causes lung cancer, at least 15 other types of cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema, and many other health effects, including harms from second-hand smoke. In Canada, based on 2021 data, there are still 3.8 million Canadians who smoke, representing 12% of the population aged 12+. The Canadian government has set an objective of under 5% of Canadians using tobacco by 2035.

The Canadian Cancer Society works tirelessly to save and improve lives. We fund the brightest minds in cancer research. We provide a compassionate support system for all those affected by cancer, across Canada and for all types of cancer. As the voice for people who care about cancer, we work with governments to shape a healthier society. No other organization does all that we do to make lives better today and transform the future of cancer forever. Help us make a difference. In Canada, call 1-888-939-3333 or visit cancer.ca today.

U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today unveiled the 2023 Best Cars for Teens. These awards recognize cars that score well in factors including dependability, reliability, crash prevention, available features, and are highly recommended.

Hyundai won the most awards in the Best New Cars for Teens categories, with four. Across the eight new-car categories, three of the winners are hybrids, which should appeal to climate- and budget-conscious teens. In the five used-car categories, four of the winners are hybrid vehicles. With two award wins, Hyundai also earned more Best Used Cars for Teens awards than any other brand.

"Each vehicle that won a Best Cars for Teens award offers strong crash test ratings and helpful active safety features, so there's a better chance of being protected if a collision occurs," said Jim Sharifi, managing editor of U.S. News Best Cars. "At the same time, these awards highlight the cars and SUVs that have teen driver controls, which can help new drivers hone their skills behind the wheel and lower the chance that they will be involved in an accident."

All 2023 Best New Cars for Teens are available with forward collision warning and forward automatic emergency braking, as well as lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist. All winners also have teen driver controls or available smartphone apps that send alerts when the car goes over a set speed or is driven outside a set time period or geographic area. These features allow parents to set limits for teen drivers and have an ongoing conversation with their teens about responsible driving habits.

About U.S. News Best Cars

Since 2007, U.S. News Best Cars, the automotive channel of U.S. News & World Report, has published rankings of the majority of new vehicles sold in America. Each year, U.S. News also publishes the Best Cars awards, including Best Vehicle Brands, Best Cars for the Money and Best Cars for Families. U.S. News Best Cars supports car shoppers throughout the entire car buying journey, offering advice for researching cars and finding cars for sale. U.S. News Best Cars had more than 61 million visitors over the past year, with the majority actively shopping for a car. More than 70% of active shoppers reported that U.S. News influenced their car-purchasing decision, saying that they trust our advice to be unbiased and that they would recommend our site to others.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate, Careers and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Service Corporation International (NYSE: SCI), North America's largest provider of funeral, cemetery and cremation services, and its brand, Dignity Memorial®, is once again partnering with Donate Life America (DLA) to save lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. The company is the first Donate Life Platinum Partner and will contribute a $250,000 donation at the start of National Donate Life Month, which begins April 1.

This is the third consecutive year that SCI has contributed $250,000 to DLA, for a total to date of $750,000. Funds will be used for programs and initiatives designed to increase awareness of organ, eye and tissue donation and to improve the process of registering as a donor.

In addition to DLA, for the past 15 years, Dignity Memorial has been a sponsor of the Donate Life Rose Parade® Float. The company has honored the lives of 64 remarkable organ, eye and tissue donors through "floragraphs," portraits made of floral and natural materials, which are placed on the Donate Life float entry produced by the OneLegacy Foundation in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade. For families who participate in this program, it is an indescribable experience, which often provides hope, healing and comfort in their grief journey.

"It's our mission to celebrate the significance of life and to honor the lives of organ, eye and tissue donors and the gifts they have given," said Jay Waring, SCI Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "We are honored to again partner with Donate Life America's vision to increase the number of donated organs, eyes and tissues available to save and heal lives through transplantation."

"National Donate Life Month is the annual observance intended to rally our communities and partners to raise awareness about donation and to encourage others to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. We also take this time to honor those that have saved lives through the gift of donation," said DLA President and CEO, David Fleming. "Dignity Memorial's work this April leading efforts to celebrate National Donate Life Month in their communities across the country is another powerful way they honor the gift of life that donation makes possible and we are grateful for their continued partnership and support."

Service Corporation International (NYSE: SCI), headquartered in Houston, Texas, is North America's leading provider of funeral, cemetery and cremation services, as well as final-arrangement planning in advance, serving more than 600,000 families each year. Our diversified portfolio of brands provides families and individuals a full range of choices to meet their needs, from simple cremations to full life celebrations and personalized remembrances. Our Dignity Memorial® brand is the name families turn to for professionalism, compassion, and attention to detail that is second to none. At December 31, 2022, we owned and operated 1,474 funeral service locations and 490 cemeteries (of which 303 are combination locations) in 44 states, eight Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Donate Life America (DLA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization leading its national partners and Donate Life State Teams to increase the number of donated organs, eyes and tissues available to save and heal lives. DLA manages and promotes Donate Life℠, the national brand for the cause of donation; motivates the public to register as organ, eye and tissue donors; provides education about living donation; manages the National Donate Life Registry at RegisterMe.org; and develops and executes effective multi-media campaigns to promote donation.

Feeding America this 2023 released The State of Senior Hunger in America in 2021, a study about seniors facing hunger in the United States. The report sheds light on the extent to which food insecurity – or having limited access to enough food to live a healthy lifestyle – affects individuals aged 60 and older. The report shows that out of 78 million seniors aged 60 or older in the United States, 5.5 million were food insecure in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available.

Food insecurity among seniors did not change significantly between 2020 and 2021, going from 6.8% to 7.1%. However, consistent with the overall population, seniors of color experience food insecurity at disproportionately higher rates compared to their white counterparts as well as the overall food insecure population. In 2021, Black seniors were 3.8 times as likely and Latino seniors were 3 times as likely to experience food insecurity compared to white seniors, compared to 2.9 times and 2.5 times respectively for the overall food insecure population. While the study does not include separate food insecurity estimates for other racial and ethnic groups, it has been shown through other analyses that individuals who identify as Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and some Asian subgroups also have disproportionately high rates of food insecurity.

"If we as a country decide once and for all to end food insecurity in this country, think of what that would mean for our senior neighbors facing hunger," said Tom Summerfelt, Chief Research Officer at Feeding America. "Food insecurity is so closely tied to health, which becomes especially critical as we age. Also, medical expenses are a key driver of food insecurity, particularly in our elders. Food can work as medicine. Addressing food insecurity among seniors would help reduce chronic health conditions and could result in healthier communities overall."

The State of Senior Hunger in America in 2021 also found that seniors in multigenerational households experience food insecurity at higher rates. While there are many positive benefits to this type of household structure, in 2021, food insecurity was 2.2 times as high for seniors residing with a grandchild (15.0% vs. 6.8%) and 1.7 times as high for older adults residing with a grandchild (15.4% vs. 9.1%). From a previous Feeding America report last year, a family with lived experience shared, "I am a senior citizen raising two toddlers and do not qualify for any help; my situation falls through the cracks of what society lists as qualified recipients."

Summerfelt added, "As Congress deliberates on the 2023 Farm Bill, I urge them to think about our parents and grandparents who might not have the resources to put enough food on the table. We urge members of Congress to help ensure people, including our seniors, have access to the nutritious food they need by strengthening federal nutrition programs, such as The Emergency Food Assistance Program and SNAP, in the 2023 Farm Bill."

The State of Senior Hunger in America in 2021 estimates food insecurity among seniors in 2021 at the national level and provides rates of senior hunger in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and for 51 large metropolitan areas.

Among the key findings:

- Seniors experiencing food insecurity live in communities across the country, including all 50 states and Washington, D.C. In 2021, senior food insecurity rates at the state level ranged from 2.8% in North Dakota to 13.4% in Louisiana.

- Nine of the ten states with the highest rates of senior food insecurity were located in the South.

- Senior food insecurity in metro areas varied from 2.0% in the Rochester, New York metro area to 13.8% in the New Orleans, Louisiana metro area.

Food insecurity has negative effects for individuals across their lifespan. For seniors, these effects can be particularly problematic given the unique health, economic, and nutritional challenges that can come with aging. The State of Senior Hunger in 2021 also finds that food insecurity disproportionately affects seniors in certain socioeconomic groups. Specifically, in 2021, researchers found:

- Seniors with disabilities (13.4%) had food insecurity rates over twice as high as seniors without disabilities (5.0%).

- An estimated six in ten (57.4%) seniors experiencing food insecurity were female.

- Seniors who live with grandchildren were more likely to be food insecure than seniors who do not (15.0% compared to 6.8%).

- Seniors with relatively higher incomes still struggle to get enough nutritious food. More than half (59.1%) of seniors experiencing food insecurity who reported income had income above the federal poverty line, and a majority were either retired (50.6%) or disabled (28.5%), while only 2.8% were unemployed.

- Seniors who are renters (17.1%) were more than three times more likely to be food insecure than seniors who are homeowners (5.0%).

For the seventh consecutive year, The State of Senior Hunger in America was produced by Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief charity with a nationwide network of 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs. The study was conducted by researchers Dr. James P. Ziliak and Dr. Craig Gundersen and is the source for national, state and metro-level information about food insecurity and very low food security among seniors aged 60 and older. An additional report highlighting food insecurity among individuals aged 50-59 was also released as part of The State of Senior Hunger in America report series. The full reports can be found here.

The 2021 rate of food insecurity among seniors remained higher than the pre-Great Recession rate in 2007 of 6.3%. Since it is estimated that the senior population will grow to 104 million by 2050, if the current rate of senior food insecurity does not improve, then more than 7 million seniors could be food insecure.

The study was funded by the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation through its Fill Your Tank program, a multi-year initiative launched in 2016 to address food insecurity in communities around the world. Enterprise's commitment to Feeding America supports senior hunger and child hunger initiatives in communities across the United States.