BEAMSVILLE, Ontario, Aug. 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) is deeply concerned by Quebec's decision to ban flavoured vape products, a move that will have far-reaching implications. This decision, backed by health and lobby groups within Quebec, contradicts significant evidence that nicotine vape products serve as an effective smoking cessation tool and are considerably less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
In a decision that directly undermines Canada's Tobacco Strategy, the recent Quebec flavour ban may hinder the nation's goal of reducing smoking rates to less than 5% by 2035. A significant study, led by McGill Professor of Medicine Mark Eisenburg, concluded that nicotine e-cigarettes were associated with increased abstinence compared to their non-nicotine counterparts, showing potential benefits over conventional smoking cessation therapies, and revealing low risks of serious adverse events. These findings are in line with those of the Cochrane Review, which reached similar conclusions. What sets the McGill study apart, however, is its status as the first North American study to underscore the superior efficacy of vapour products in aiding smoking cessation. Quebec’s flavour ban will therefore limit the efficacy of what has been proven to be one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking.
“Throughout the consultation phase, over 30,000 Quebec residents fervently appealed to the government, requesting a re-evaluation of the ban and expressing their reliance on flavours as a means to abstain from traditional tobacco. Regrettably, these pleas fell on deaf ears. Approximately 400,000 vapers in Quebec, will now be at risk of relapsing to smoking, or forced to purchase from out of province or illicit sellers,” said Darryl Tempest, Government Relations Counsel to the CVA.
As a result of the new regulations, more than 90% of vaping liquids currently in use will be classified as illegal. This prohibition will impact the majority of vapers, who prefer flavoured products to tobacco flavour. The regulation also imposes drastic limitations on product capacity, further restricting consumer choice and product availability. Reductions in product volume will also significantly increase costs for consumers. This move is expected to devastate Quebec’s vaping industry, which currently contributes nearly $150 million in excise and sales taxes to Quebec's economy.
Nearly 400,000 vulnerable Quebecers rely on flavoured products to fight their addiction to combustible tobacco. These individuals have improved their life expectancies through their choice to vape. Moreover, vaping has demonstrably contributed significantly to the sharp decline in smoking rates among young people in recent years. Prior to mainstream adoption of nicotine vapour products, tobacco control efforts had been relatively stagnant for several years.
The new legislation also raises serious questions about the future of the vaping industry in Quebec. It is anticipated to lead to a massive contraction in the legal sector, following in the steps of Nova Scotia, which saw the complete destruction of the legal and regulated vape industry. The Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey found that despite Nova Scotia’s flavour ban in 2020, the province still has among the highest rates of youth experimentation in the country. On average, provinces with more permissive vaping regulation have lower rates of youth usage.
Drawing from the Nova Scotia precedent, Quebec will soon be overrun by unauthorized sellers, ready to offer Quebec residents less expensive but potentially harmful products, thereby undermining protections for young people and facilitating their access to more affordable vape products. Alongside the growth of the illicit market, the new regulations will redirect Quebec consumers towards Ontario, Indigenous territories, and international markets for their purchases. These outlets are expected to continue offering flavoured vape products to Quebecers. Consequently, Quebec's flavour ban will result in the loss of millions in tax revenue and approximately 2,000 jobs.
The CVA asserts that a more rational approach to addressing youth experimentation would have been for Quebec to limit flavoured products to licensed age-restricted specialty vape stores. This approach combined with greatly increased enforcement resources and harsher penalties would have been a far more effective and less destructive solution.
“The CVA is tremendously disappointed that Quebec has given the industry in its entirety to tobacco companies and criminals. The ban will lead to sharp increases in smoking and crime. This decision is a public health disaster that will have health, social and economic consequences for years to come,” said Tempest.
Contact info: Darryl Tempest, Government Relations, Counsel to the CVA Board, dtempest@thecva.org, 647-274-1867
