The TVPA was amended in 2018, to recognize vaping as a safer alternative to smoking, yet also to include measures to protect youth from the products through various labelling and promotion restrictions.
“Vaping has helped millions of smokers quit and has the potential to help millions more if it weren’t for the misrepresentations of the industry by media and misperceptions surrounding the product itself. It is imperative that Parliamentarians have the opportunity to hear from a wide range of experts as part of the TVPA review process,” said Darryl Tempest, Government Relations Council to the CVA Board.
The TVPA public consultation closes on April 27th
Meanwhile, the TVPA is scheduled to begin its mandated parliamentary review and the Government of Canada has opened a public consultation until April 27, 2022. A Discussion Paper by Health Canada encourages adult smokers to switch to the safer alternatives. “For adults who smoke, there appears to be a lack of awareness that vaping products are a less harmful source of nicotine for those who currently smoke and switch completely to vaping. A 2020 survey found that only 22 percent of current smokers recognized that vaping is less harmful than smoking cigarettes.”
However, the TVPA contributes to the problem through Section 30.43 which prohibits “the promotion of a vaping product in a manner that could cause a person to believe that health benefits may be derived from the use of the product or from its emission or by comparing the health effects arising from the use of the product or from its emissions with those arising from the use of a tobacco product or from its emissions. The purpose of this prohibition is to prevent the public from being deceived or misled with respect to the health hazards of using vaping products.”
Health Canada’s “List of Statements for Use in the Promotion of Vaping Products”
Via its submission, the CVA will urge Health Canada to rectify this problem by including relative risk statements for approved use by licensed specialty vape shops. In 2018, Health Canada proposed a “List of Statements for Use in the Promotion of Vaping Products”. This proposal has been put on the back-burner and has languished in Health Canada’s bureaucracy to the detriment of potential public health gains from smokers switching to vaping.
“The CVA looks forward to actively participating in the review process and will advocate for enhanced measures to protect youth, as well as increased smoker targeted messaging on the benefits of switching to vaping. We encourage all stakeholders to submit feedback,” said Tempest.
