The Canadian Vaping Association supports restrictions, urging informed public policy before any decisions are final

TORONTO, Nov. 14, 2019 /CNW/ - The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) is committed to working with public health associations and the federal and provincial governments to ensure regulations in the vaping industry are informed by fact and evidence-based data.

Following the presentation by the Health Committee in Nova Scotia this week on e-cigarettes, it is clear that concern around youth uptake has reached alarming levels. Illicit, black market products have been associated with the lung illness outbreak and should be a major focus for governments looking to keep these products out of the hands of youth. The CVA is calling on governments to expand their stakeholders as regulatory processes are established to best understand the source of illness and youth uptake before enacting new public policy.

"We have been working closely with Health Canada to develop public policy and regulatory processes that address the spike in youth uptake, by limiting the sale of vape products to adult-only specialty vape shops and restricting their promotion to age-restricted environments," said Darryl Tempest, Executive Director of the Canadian Vaping Association. "Setting this standard on access to vaping products globally is the best approach to proactively preventing youth access to these products in the first place."

This week's presentation by the Nova Scotia Health Committee has suggested banning flavours as a means of addressing youth uptake; however, the Canadian Vaping Association strongly urges against a total ban on flavours, as such a move could hurt smokers using flavoured vape products as a harm reduction alternative. Youth access to vaping is a national issue that must be addressed without driving adult smokers back to smoking cigarettes or to black market products. 

"We have a number of customers that rely on the flavour of their vaping products to keep them away from cigarettes," said Tempest. "Flavoured products available in adult-only, specialty vape shops would offer smokers looking to transition away from cigarettes or quit altogether a less harmful option. At the same time, these retail locations would be inaccessible to youth ? wherein lies the root of the current issue."

The Canadian Vaping Association is comprised of members that sell and distribute their products through these specialty vape shops. Any online sales are also subject to a two-step age verification process, which requires all online orders to first provide identification including name, age and address, along with a second proof of identity at the point of delivery. Any orders placed that do not provide matching documents are immediately cancelled by the distributor. Nationwide adherence to these processes will help to keep these products out of the hands of youth while providing access in a safe, regulated environment to the adult smoker looking for a harm reduction alternative.

About the Canadian Vaping Association
The Canadian Vaping Association (thecva.org) is a registered national, not-for-profit organization, established as the voice for the burgeoning Canadian vaping industry. Founded in 2014, the CVA represents over 300 retail and online vaping businesses in Canada, not including tobacco companies or affiliates. The association is the primary liaison with the federal and provincial governments on all legislative and regulatory issues related to the industry. The primary goal of CVA is to ensure that government regulation is reasonable and practical, through the strategy of professional proactive communication and education supplied bilingually to health officers, media, and elected officials.

SOURCE The Canadian Vaping Association