HAMILTON, Ontario, June 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An article published by the Calgary Sun, “Province has a moral obligation to ban flavoured vaping products says some Alberta doctors,” has caused great concern to the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) and to thousands of Albertans who have chosen vaping as a far less harmful alternative to combustible tobacco. Thirty Alberta doctors are advocating for all flavours except tobacco to be banned and for nicotine concentrations to be limited to 20 milligrams per millilitre, while questioning the effectiveness of vaping as a cessation tool.
Failing to acknowledge the numerous conclusive studies which prove that vaping is both significantly less harmful then combustible tobacco and the most effective smoking cessation product globally goes to show that many let their personal bias get in the way of the facts. Clearly this group of doctors in Alberta either have not taken the time to review the research or else simply do not wish to acknowledge vaping as an unprecedented tool for the reduction of smoking related illness, Canada’s leading cause of death.
There are many credible peer reviewed studies which have proven that vaping is less harmful than smoking, most notably the Royal College of Physicians which has concluded for the sixth consecutive year that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking. Additionally, National Health Services (NHS) conducted a controlled trial in which participants were randomly assigned to varying nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products (patches, gums, etc.) or e-cigarettes. This trial concluded after a year of following these participants that vaping is nearly twice as effective as the leading NRT products and that smokers increase their chances of quitting smoking by 83% using e-cigarettes compared to NRTs. The Rutgers School of Public Health and the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health also conducted a study into vaping effectiveness which concluded that 50% of daily vapers are individuals that have successfully quit smoking completely. These studies clearly demonstrate that the effectiveness of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation and harm reduction is undeniable.
This group of Alberta doctors have called on the Government of Alberta to ban flavours entirely to curb youth vaping, but this only further indicates that they have not reviewed the relevant research. Flavour bans have been categorically proven to be ineffective and counter productive. When developing regulations, consideration must be given to the availability of flavoured vapour products through overseas distributors via online purchases and through the unregulated and sometimes dangerous black-market. Banning flavours in regulated vape shops only empowers those that want to take advantage of Canada’s youth and avoid any the enforcement that comes with effective regulation. Additionally, all studies to date have shown that flavour bans serve only to increase smoking rates with no impact on youth vaping rates.
After Juul’s voluntary removal of flavours in the United States, The American Cancer Society conducted a study which concluded that without flavours available the youth vaping rates did not change. Instead of quitting vaping, youth simply switched to tobacco and mint vape products. The idea that flavoured vaping products contribute to youth vaping is a common misconception that has also been discredited by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC report “Tobacco Product Use and Associated Factors Among Middle and Highschool Students”, 77.7% of the teens surveyed whom had tried vaping indicated that they had done so for a reason unrelated to flavours, the most common of which was simply curiosity.
The reason flavours bans have proven ineffective is that youth that vape regularly are not vaping for the flavour but for the high nicotine concentrations or the nicotine ‘buzz’. This is why the CVA strongly agrees with Alberta doctors on the need to limit nicotine concentrations to 20 milligrams per millilitre and has advocated for this change federally. This would align the regulations here in Canada with those in the European Union, where youth vaping rates have remained relatively low.
The rise in youth vaping rates in North America directly correlates to the entrance of Big Tobacco vape brands, such as Juul and Vype. With the entrance of tobacco owned vape brands came aggressive advertising campaigns which were not restricted to adult environments, a practise that has since been federally prohibited in Canada. Additionally, the products distributed by these brands have nicotine concentrations of 57 - 59 milligrams per millilitre, making them highly addictive, and the devices are very easily concealed. The UK has not seen a rise in youth vaping as a result of the nicotine limit that had been established in the European Union prior to the entrance of tobacco owned high nicotine vape brands; this nicotine limit meant that the high nicotine vape products distributed by companies like Juul and Vype were not available in the UK to entice youth.
“Vaping is a powerful solution, repeatedly proven in peer-reviewed studies to be effective in significantly reducing harm for adult smokers making the choice to improve their health and extend their lives by quitting combustible tobacco. Flavours are the key to adult adoption, being utilized by over 90% of adult vapers. If flavours are banned, flavoured vape products will not just disappear; instead, the black market will simply take over. We know from the experience in the United States that unregulated vape products are easily produced by criminals and pose significant danger to public health. Industry, health advocates and government should be working on effective and balanced solutions together however, thus far, many health advocates refuse to engage in meaningful dialogue,” said Darryl Tempest, Executive Director of the Canadian Vaping Association. “This group of doctors in Alberta have called out the government to ban flavoured vape products that save the lives of adult smokers, stating that youth vaping makes this a moral obligation. Where is the moral obligation to ban flavoured alcohol or flavoured sodas with their high caffeine and sugar content, all of which have a negative impact when used by our youth? Where is this group's moral call to ban the province’s largest killer, combustible tobacco? Instead they are fighting against the most globally successful harm reduction product,” concluded Tempest.
The CVA shares the concerns of all Canadians over youth vaping and has recommended multiple practical solutions to prevent youth access to vaping products, while ensuring adult smokers still have access to the tools they require to quit combustible tobacco. Policies implemented in BC and Ontario are properly targeting the issues of youth uptake and access, through limiting the sale of flavoured vape products to adult only access specialty vape shops and implementing restrictions around vape products with high nicotine concentrations. On the other hand, the flavour ban implemented in Nova Scotia instead targets reformed adult smokers, shutting down nearly all regulated adult vape shops and giving rise to a thriving black market. To truly reduce youth access, the sale of adult products must be limited to age restricted specialty vape stores. Further policy recommendations must include harsher penalties for anyone found selling to a minor, not in the hundreds of dollars but the thousands, and other stiff penalties for commercial or repeat offenders.
While we commend all health professionals and advocates for their continued efforts to protect youth from nicotine exposure, an effort supported by our industry from its inception, it is imperative that they review the research and acknowledge vaping as the most effective harm reduction tool worldwide. 45,000 Canadians will die this year from combustible tobacco; thus, we agree there is a moral obligation here, but that obligation is to work together to support any solution that can prevent so many needless deaths. Vaping can save the lives of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Canadians. The studies have shown repeatedly that banning flavours will only hurt adult smokers, without having any meaningful impact on youth experimentation. Advocating for policies that limit the availability of the most effective smoking cessation tool and the flavours which play such an integral role in the success rates of reformed smokers is negating the importance of thousands of Albertan lives – an act we truly view as immoral.
John Xydous
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