National Non-Smoking Week - VITA Stands with Former Smokers and Adult Smokers and Against Reactive Policies That Threaten Vaping

TORONTO, Jan. 22, 2020 /CNW/ - During National Non-Smoking Week, the Vaping Industry Trade Association calls upon all levels of government to formally acknowledge the thousands of Canadian vapers who quit smoking by vaping and to carefully consider how proposed policies negatively affect adult vapers who rely on these products to remain smoke-free.

There are an estimated 292,000 vapers in Canada and survey data suggests that a large portion of regular vapers have left behind tobacco for good. Vaping has been recognized as an effective smoking cessation tool and as 95% less harmful than smoking by bodies like Public Health England.  It is because vaping removes the combustion that it is understood to be a less harmful nicotine delivery system than cigarettes. In fact, a report by the Royal Society of England shows that nicotine, while addictive, is no more harmful than caffeine.

"Yet because nicotine is addictive, a range of nicotine strengths is important to the smoker who is interested in transitioning towards a less harmful product and potentially decreasing their use to zero nicotine over time," said Daniel David, president of VITA. "Similarly, flavours are an important product feature to incentivize adult smokers to make the switch to vaping."

"But the adult smoker population and its needs seem to have been forgotten as governments from Coast to Coast are proposing new regulations that will limit nicotine content, impose a tax, ban flavours and restrict the sale of vaping products to fewer locations," said David. "These policies have the effect of making the products less accessible, less affordable and less attractive to the adult smoker."

The result is that adult smokers may keep smoking or vapers may be compelled to purchase illicit products, which exposes them to a higher risk of contamination. Worse yet, it may push vapers back to smoking. US data shows that in recent months, the drop in vaping sales volumes correlated with an increase in cigarette sales volumes.^[1] This correlation should serve as a warning to policy makers.

While VITA shares governments' concerns on youth vaping and the illicit market, it's not clear how these proposed measures will eliminate youth vaping or protect the vape consumer. Health Canada's own research shows that flavours and nicotine strengths are not the culprit behind youth vaping. This evidence suggests that access, not appeal, should be the focus of youth prevention efforts and industry players are working hard to implement stronger age verification practices in retail and online.

"VITA is committed to working proactively with regulators and policymakers to address youth vaping, however, governments must also strike the right balance so we save the public health benefit vaping products present for adult smokers, while keeping nicotine products out of the hands of young people," concluded David.

SOURCE Vaping Industry Trade Association (VITA)