Act on Facts Not Fear - On National Non-Smoking Week Imperial Tobacco Canada Calls for Vaping Policies to Be Based on Facts Not Fear

MONTREAL, Jan. 20, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Imperial Tobacco Canada is kicking-off National Non-Smoking Week with a call to provincial and federal governments to regulate vapour products based on facts, not fear. This call for science and evidence-based regulation comes following months of misinformation and fear tactics deployed by anti-tobacco lobby groups. Imperial Tobacco Canada wants to set the record straight and ensure health policies are rooted in evidence and that adults have the accurate information to allow informed decisions.

"For the last 12 months we have seen stories that portrays vaping as a public health epidemic," said Eric Gagnon, Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Imperial Tobacco Canada. "We believe it is important to bring back the facts into the conversation and not give free reign to anti-tobacco groups as they spread inaccurate and misleading information about nicotine vaping."

Public health agencies around the world, including Health Canada, have acknowledged that vaping is a less harmful alternative to cigarettes. In the UK, Public Health England (the equivalent of Health Canada) estimates that vaping products are at least 95% less harmful than traditional cigarettes, and as a result of their progressive policies millions of smokers have quit smoking.

"Despite the significant evidence and increasing support by public health authorities around the world some public health lobby groups simply refuse to listen," added Mr. Gagnon. "They continue to distort the facts and do everything they can to make it more difficult for smokers to choose an alternative to cigarettes."

Imperial Tobacco Canada continues to advocate for current regulations to be properly enforced across the country and for anyone that breaks the law to be severely punished. It is already illegal to sell vaping products to minors and it is also illegal to sell vaping products with confectionary flavours that could be deemed appealing to youth. It is now up to federal and provincial governments to work together to strengthen the enforcement of existing regulations. 

"This is an extremely complex issue for which governments need to talk to scientists and doctors who understand the issue and not get swayed by the dramatized headlines," said Gagnon. "If politicians and regulators allow themselves to be influenced by fear instead of facts, the biggest losers will be the millions of adult smokers across Canada who want an alternative to smoking."

To help set the facts straight Imperial Tobacco Canada has launched a media campaign that aims to clear the air around the current spread of misinformation surrounding vaping. 

"This campaign is not about promoting vaping. That is the responsibility of health agencies and the government if they truly want to reduce smoking rates," said Mr. Gagnon. "We simply want Canadians to have the facts, which unfortunately are being distorted by anti-tobacco groups dressed up as health advocates."

For more information visit www.factsnotfear.ca

Some facts about vaping:

• Public Health England states that e-cigarettes are 95 percent less harmful than cigarettes. (Source)
• Millions of smokers in the UK have quit thanks to progressive views on vaping. (Source)
• Health Canada has acknowledged that vaping is a less harmful alternative to cigarettes. (Source)
• Vaping can help smokers quit and/or smoke less. (Source)
• Flavours play an important role in helping adult smoker switch to vaping. (Source)
• Lung related illness in the USA linked to black market products not nicotine vaping by Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Source)

SOURCE Imperial Tobacco Canada