Hamilton, ON, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The CVA has been vigorously advocating with provincial health authorities across Canada for rules and regulations to reduce youth access to vaping products. The CVA completely agrees with the provinces who are concerned about youth uptake and that all vape products should be kept out of the hands of our youth. However, as has been emphasized by many clinicians, former smokers and researchers in Canada and abroad, flavours are not the cause of youth vaping. It’s the promotion and marketing of these products in non-adult restricted retail outlets and the irresponsibly high levels of nicotine in certain pod systems that are influencing under-age use.
The CVA is disappointed the Minister would appear to reach a decision before the consultations are complete. “The result of this bill will be putting former and current smokers lives at risk,” says Darryl Tempest, Executive Director, The Canadian Vaping Association. “In Canada, new tobacco-financed vape products were introduced in 2018 in non-age restricted sales channels, such as convenience stores, which coincides directly with the rise in youth vaping. Flavoured e-liquids have been in circulation through age-restricted vape shops in Canada for over a decade now and are used by 40 million adults across the world with no previous increase in youth vaping rates.”
Darryl Tempest goes on to state that “These products are available throughout PEI in 85 gas stations and 61 convenience stores, while there are only seven regulated age-restricted vape shops in PEI. As such, eliminating the convenience store and gas station sales channel reduces access points by over 95% and limits the availability of vaping products to adult only locations. This would address one of the two true drivers of youth uptake - access. The other significant driver, irresponsibly high nicotine levels, can be easily addressed through a significantly reduced cap on nicotine levels. Youth vaping is not an issue in Europe where there are thousands of flavour choices. The key to their success has been a cap on nicotine at 20 mg/ml which leaves sleek closed pod system ineffective and reduces the “nicotine buzz” that can influence youth to try vaping.”
“With a focus on evidence based data we have the ability to develop regulations that both protect youth and support the most effective harm reduction platform for combustible tobacco users, flavoured nicotine vaping products. The shared goals of Canadians should be eliminating combustible tobacco forever and banning flavours will move us in the opposite direction” says Darryl Tempest.
The CVA is encouraged that the province of British Columbia took positive action to both protect youth and support harm reduction through regulating nicotine levels and limiting the sale of flavoured nicotine vaping products to age restricted product vape products. The regulations developed in BC set the standard by basing these regulations on the best available evidence and global data.
The CVA looks forward to meeting with Minister Aylward to discuss the potential consequences of the proposed legislation in PEI. As Canada’s national vaping advocacy organization - with no ties to tobacco companies - we can share our learnings and recommendations including:
- Youth should not have access to any vape products - all vape product sales, including flavoured e-liquids, should be limited to adult only vape shops.
- Sophisticated age verification technology should be mandatory for all vape product retailers, for both in-store and online sales.
- National and brand specific advertising should be prohibited. Display and promotion of vape products in retail environments should be restricted to adult only access vape shops.
- Nicotine levels should be capped at 20 mg/ml.
- It should be mandated that e-commerce and online sales be delivered via a dual age verification platform.
- We must close Canadian borders to unregulated black market vaping products and ingredients.
About the Canadian Vaping Association
The Canadian Vaping Association (thecva.org) is a registered national, not-for-profit organization, established as the voice for the burgeoning Canadian vaping industry. Founded in 2014, the CVA represents over 300 retail and online vaping businesses in Canada, not including tobacco companies or affiliates. The association is the primary liaison with the federal and provincial governments on all legislative and regulatory issues related to the industry. The primary goal of CVA is to ensure that government regulation is reasonable and practical, through the strategy of professional proactive communication and education supplied bilingually to health officers, media, and elected officials.