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Ultra-thin condoms: Canada is still waiting Last summer, the Mirror reported on the deregulation of the condom industry, ostensibly allowing for the sale of ultra-thin condoms in Canada ["Size doesn't matter, but thickness does", The Front, July 9, 1998]. Seven months later, and with many hopeful Montrealers anxiously anticipating Sunday's Valentine celebrations, the new ultra-thins have yet to hit the market. The problem: while Ottawa has abolished its own regulations on condom thickness, new products must still meet a 25-litre burst test, as described in regulation ISO-4074 of the International Standards Organization. This new, previously unknown standard has caused concern among industry players. "I need to be sure they will pass the test before I bring them across the border," says Mark Michaels of Second Skin Rubber Products, the Canadian distributor for the Japanese condom manufacturer Okomoto, which produces a number of ultra-thin products. "I have to order a minimum of 3,000 condoms, and if they don't pass the test, I lose. I get to take 3,000 condoms for a drive to the Miron dump." Michaels also says he trusts his manufacturer's product; he just doesn't trust Health Canada's testing methods. "I went to Winnipeg once with some Japanese clients to view the testing facility, and they laughed out loud at the testing equipment." --Philip Preville
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