Proposed ban on vaping flavours will push Canadians back to smoking traditional cigarettes, admits Health Canada's own report

TORONTO, July 6, 2021 /CNW/ - In an unprecedented move, Health Canada is proposing a full federal ban on vaping flavours. The ban would take effect in about 180 days, so likely January 1, 2022.

"Health Canada is pushing smokers back to smoking cigarettes and into the arms of 'Big Tobacco'," says Shai Bekman, president of DashVapes Inc., Canada's largest independently owned e-cigarette company that produces e-cigarettes, an alternative to smoking.

In a homage to Saturday Night Live's (SNL) "cold open," DashVapes has produced a short skit, titled "The First Vaping-Cessation Device.

"This is not me editorializing or being sarcastic, this is what the report commissioned by Health Canada says. The report freely admits that Canadians are likely to resume smoking cigarettes if vaping flavours are banned," adds Mr. Bekman.

According to a "Regulatory Analysis Impact Statement," pertaining to the Order Amending Schedules 2 and 3 to the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (Flavours), published in The Canada Gazette, Ottawa, Saturday, June 19, 2021, states:

"About 46% of current vapers (past-30-day use) aged 20 years and older are dual users (i.e. individuals who vape and smoke cigarettes). The total profit loss to the vaping industry that also manufactures tobacco products may be mitigated by the substitution of tobacco purchases from dual users who would go back to smoking and adults who smoke who would continue to smoke instead of switching to tobacco- or mint/menthol-flavoured vaping products.

After the proposal comes into force, it is anticipated that some dual users who currently use flavoured vaping products would not substitute their purchases with tobacco and mint/menthol-flavoured vaping products. They would choose to purchase more cigarettes, hence offsetting the loss of sales of tobacco- and mint/menthol flavoured vaping products."

Page 140 of the report [emphasis added].

"How would banning vaping flavours help Canadians who are trying to quit smoking?" says Mr. Bekman, a reformed smoker of a 2-packs-per-day habit for 13 years. While he wanted to quit smoking, nothing worked for him until he tried vaping.

"That's like telling recovering alcoholics that they cannot drink iced tea with lemon. Instead, they must drink alcohol-free beer. Does that make sense to anyone?" says Mr. Bekman.

The Health Canada report makes no mention of the fact that there are hundreds of flavour additives in regular cigarettes. According to the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA), There are more than 7,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. More than 70 of those chemicals are linked to cancer.

"Yes, there is nicotine in e-liquid used to vape, but the whole point of vaping is to reduce your harm," says Mr. Bekman.

"To be clear, DashVapes supports capping nicotine at 20mg per milliliter. DashVapes also supports a ban on advertising to those 19 and younger," he says.

At the same time, Mr. Bekman is pushing for answers to the "Youth Vaping Crisis" in August 2019 to early 2020. "Did Health Canada and the government of Canada conduct a criminal investigation into the Youth Vaping Crisis?" he asks.

In a news release distributed on CNW on June 23, 2021, he asked the Hon. Patty Hajdu, the Federal Minster of Health, Iain Stewart, president of Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), as well as all provincial health ministers across Canada, asking about the status of the criminal investigation into Canada's "Youth Vaping Crisis" in late summer 2019 to early 2020.

Specifically, Mr. Bekman wants to know:

• What investigation did the government do?
• How long was the investigation?
• What were the results of the investigation?
• How many people were charged?
• At what stage is the litigation?

"In Canada, 17 people became ill and 14 were hospitalized in the 'Youth Vaping Crisis' due to tainted THC-based [cannabis] vaping liquid produced by bootleggers, not responsible Canadian vaping producers. A criminal investigation was warranted," says Mr. Bekman.

SOURCE DashVapes, Inc