A recent letter to Ontario’s health minister Jean-Yves Duclos, urged him to amend the current vape regulations to restrict the number of flavours allowed. However, warns the CVA, such restrictions would have negative repercussions such as increased smoking rates and an expansion of the blackmarket.
The association highlighted that studies keep showing that adults who switched from smoking to vaping non-tobacco flavours were more likely to be successful at smoking cessation than those who vaped tobacco flavours.
Vape flavours for smoking cessation
Renowned smoking cessation expert and cardiologist Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos has also recently explained the importance of flavours. “It is clear that flavoured nicotine vaping products are instrumental in aiding adult smokers in their quest to quit smoking cigarettes. In my view, legislators should seriously take this into account, especially when they start considering the regulation of flavour in ENDS (electronic nicotine delivery systems),” he said.
While Darryl Tempest, Government Relations Counsel to the CVA Board, said that even of they worked, further restrictions are not even necessary. “Ontario has restricted flavoured vape products to adult-only environments. Flavours cannot be sold in any establishment that youth have access. Strong regulation is already in place to protect young people, further regulation isn’t needed. Instead, Belleville should concentrate its efforts on increasing municipal enforcement.”
“Often the call for increased regulation stems from a lack of awareness on the existing regulation. Federally, Canada has among the most stringent regulations globally which have been reinforced by the provinces through a host of provincial Acts designed to protect young people and non-smokers.”
Read Further: Digital Journal
The Role of Different Nicotine Strengths And Vape Flavours in Smoking Cessation
