BC misses the point with proposed vaping regulations
MONTREAL, Nov. 15, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Imperial Tobacco Canada supports the Government of British Columbia's intention to curb youth vaping; however, the government has demonstrated a profound lack of understanding of how this complex category works with its proposed regulations.
"None of the extreme proposals made today will do anything to stop young people from vaping. The only result will be limiting information and limiting choice for adult smokers who are looking for a potentially less-harmful alternative to smoking," said Eric Gagnon, Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Imperial Tobacco Canada. "For these products to reach their full potential, federal and provincial governments need to work together to establish a regulatory framework that will maximize the opportunity for adult smokers to switch to vaping while strengthening the enforcement of existing regulations to stem youth access to vaping products."
Health Canada has acknowledged that vaping is a less harmful alternative to cigarettes, and this is indicative of a global shift in thinking about vaping and tobacco harm reduction. In the UK, Public Health England (the equivalent of Heath Canada) estimates that vaping products are at least 95% less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
"The anti-tobacco lobby will undoubtedly applaud the Government of BC for introducing some of the most stringent vaping regulations in the world. The unfortunate reality is that not only will this policy not address youth vaping, it will limit the chances of a BC smoker switching to a safer alternative," added Mr. Gagnon.
Imperial Tobacco Canada firmly believes that young people should not vape. There are already strict regulations in place that restrict sales of these products to adults only. The Federal Government already has a regulatory framework in place for vaping products that include nicotine levels, packaging requirements and sales to minors.
"Governments should be encouraging smokers to try vaping products. That's the real public health solution as has been proven by countries like the United Kingdom who have had over 3 million smokers quit thanks to sensible and fact-based vaping regulations. This knee-jerk reaction by the BC Government only serves to make themselves feel better, unfortunately to the detriment of public health," concluded Gagnon.
SOURCE Imperial Tobacco Canada
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