Canadian Vaping Assn. response to federal vaping regulation

In response to the recent announcement by the Federal Government on its plan to regulate vaping, the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) welcomes the Minister’s comments acknowledging that electronic cigarettes are a less harmful alternative to cigarette smoking and, in fact, can be a useful tool in helping smokers switch from smoking altogether.

“Canada has been a world leader in implementing policies that successfully encourage smokers to give up a habit that has significant health impacts. The Minister’s admission of the benefits of vaping is encouraging and will hopefully see Canada once again leading the way. In contrast, e-cigarette regulations at the provincial level across the country appear unbalanced and overly restrictive and, in our view, will cause more harm by reducing access to a less harmful alternative to cigarettes,” says CVA President Stanley Pijl.

The impact of cigarette smoking on human health has a huge cost in both lives and resources. According to Alberta’s health department, cigarette smoking costs Canadians about $17 billion, including $4.4 billion annually in direct health care costs.

A landmark report commissioned by Public Health England (PHE) in 2015 concludes that electronic cigarettes are significantly safer than tobacco smoke and have the potential to help smokers quit. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/e-cigarettes-around-95-less-harmful-than-tobacco-estimates-landmark-review

Key findings of the 111 page review include:

• E-cigarettes are estimated to be 95% safer than smoking,
• The health risks of passive exposure to e-cigarette vapour are likely to be extremely low,
• E-cigarettes can help smokers quit,
• E-cigarettes are used almost exclusively by smokers,
• There is no evidence that e-cigarettes are acting as a gateway to cigarette use,
• The public’s perception of the relative risk of e-cigarettes is inconsistent with the latest evidence.
• The CVA believes if governments move to regulate and, in some cases, restrict vaping and e-cigarettes in the same manner as cigarettes, fewer smokers will be encouraged to improve their health by switching to vaping, a recognized less harmful alternative.

“We are generally pleased that the Federal Government has recognized the benefits of vaping. While we agree with the Federal Government’s Standing Committee on Health Report (Vaping: Towards a Regulatory Framework for E-cigarettes) that e-cigarettes should be regulated separately from tobacco so that those who want a less harmful alternative can easily find one, we also strongly believe governments have an obligation to convey accurate risk information, and that they have a role to play in encouraging cigarette smokers to consider a switch to vaping, a less harmful alternative, to save both lives and scarce healthcare dollars,” said Pijl.

About the Canadian Vaping Association:

The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) is a registered national, not-for-profit organization, representing manufacturers and vendors of vaping products and advocates in Canada. CVA is the only national stakeholder that has met and consulted with provincial governments across Canada as well as with the federal government on vaping and the e-cigarette industry. The primary goal of CVA is to ensure that government regulation is reasonable and practical, through the strategy of professional proactive communication, advocacy and education supplied bilingually to health officers, media, elected officials and the general public.