Canadian Vaping Association supports Ontario ban on vaping products in convenience stores

TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2019 /CNW/ - The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) applauds the recent announcement by the province of Ontario calling for a ban on the promotion of vaping products in convenience stores. Effective January 1, 2020, this ban is a step in the right direction in increasing regulation of the vaping industry.

"We fully support Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott's decision to ban the promotion of vaping products across convenience stores and believe this is an effective approach to limiting youth uptake," said Darryl Tempest, Executive Director, The Canadian Vaping Association. "Limiting the sale of e-liquid nicotine vaping products to age-restricted retail environments has been a key message in our ongoing recommendations to Health Canada for addressing youth uptake, and we are pleased to see provincial regulations moving in this direction."

Ensuring vaping products are only available in specialty vape shops, which are subject to the most robust vaping regulations in the country, allows access for adults using these products as a harm-reduction alternative to combustible tobacco, without the threat of these products getting into the wrong hands. It is important that adults smokers looking to transition to a less harmful alternative have access to an environment that is safe, regulated and equipped with the proper educational knowledge required to speak to and sell vaping products.

The CVA also supports Minister Elliott's order requiring public hospitals to provide statistical information on vaping-related pulmonary diseases to the medical officer of health. "It is important that the regulatory changes around the sale and promotion of vaping products result from a measured, evidence-based approach. Further regulations should consider banning promotion and advertising of vaping products in any location that is not age-restricted, as well as a two-step age verification process for online sales," added Tempest.

About the Canadian Vaping Association

The Canadian Vaping Association (canadianvapingassociation.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 200 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

Darryl Tempest, Executive Director, 647-274-1867, [email protected]