OTTAWA, ONTARIO - An Ontario lawmaker has introduced a bill that he hopes will rid the province of flavored tobacco products, the Vancouver Sun reports.

The NDP??s France Gelinas is targeting cigarillos, tobacco-infused candy, and other flavored tobacco products, an effort that both the federal (Canada) government and province had previously failed to achieve.

A 2010 law banned the products in 2010, but defined cigarillos as having a maximum weight. Companies skirted the rule by increasing the product size. Additionally, it defined such products as having filters, so manufacturers simply removed the filters.

Gelinas?? broad bill looks to close those loopholes and eventually keep the products from reaching the hands of young smokers.

Ontario Minister of health Deb Matthews has remained noncommittal about the bill, though Rowena Pinto, senior director of public affairs at the Canadian Cancer Society (Ontario Division), said the move would help prevent flavored tobacco products from entering the province.

"Some of the packaging for the current cigarillos actually looks like fruit rollups, lip gloss and highlighters with labels like 'apple-tini?? and cherry," Pinto said. "This is attractive packaging for youth and the scariest thing is, as a parent, you would look into your kid??s backpack and not be able to identify these products from the real highlighters and lip gloss."

Phillip Jansson, a youth facilitator with Ottawa Public Health, said federal budget cuts necessitate that the provinces work to address tobacco legislation.

"There is little hope for federal action in the near future," he said. "This Ontario bill will set a precedent for other provinces and help the other provinces who are taking action.