Canada’s proposed flavour ban will harm public health

Beamsville, ON, June 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, the Canada Gazette, Part 1, proposing a ban on flavoured vape products except for tobacco, mint and menthol was published. The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) is disappointed that Canada has proposed harmful regulation to address misguided moral panic, instead of supporting the greatest harm reduction opportunity of our lifetime. If the flavour ban is implemented, hundreds of thousands of smokers may be pushed back to smoking or to the black-market and many will die.

There is mounting evidence that flavours reduce cravings and increase smoking cessation success. Research from Yale School of Public Health finds that smokers that quit using a flavoured product are 2.5 times more likely to be successful. The study concludes, “While proposed flavour bans are well-intentioned, they have disastrous outcomes. Legislation on vaping flavours must take the facts of smoking cessation and harm reduction into account, and we urge legislators against the widespread implementation of such bans”

Additionally, through a campaign launched by consumer advocates, to date more than 90,000 Canadians have notified their Member of Parliament and Health Canada of the harm a flavour ban would inflict on themselves or their families. It is evident by today’s publication that there is little sympathy for smokers as the lives and health of adult smokers have been disregarded.

“We have repeatedly shared the science on vaping. Regulators are aware of the important role flavours play in the adoption of vaping by smokers. A flavour ban will reduce the appeal of the product and will sentence many smokers to their death. There is sufficient data from regions with flavour bans to provide a clear understanding of the consequences. Flavour bans do little to protect youth and instead increase smoking rates and strengthen the black-market,” said Darryl Tempest, Executive Director of the CVA.

Moreover, the Canadian Constitutional Foundation has stated, “…flavor restrictions, have the potential to make [vapes] less attractive or effective as quit-aids—and are considered from the standpoint of potential interference [that could potentially interfere] with the right not to be deprived of life, liberty, and the security of the person protected by section 7 of the Charter.”

“The CVA encourages all stakeholders to submit feedback during the consultation period. We also encourage all elected members of the legislature to educate themselves on this issue. There are thousands of individual vapers that have chosen vaping  to reduce their harm in every riding across the country. Surely, if the UK can track to be free of combustible tobacco by 2030, we can build better policies to exceed our current stated goal of 5% smoking prevalence by 2035. We must do better,” said Tempest.