Health Canada proposes to ban advertising of vaping products wherever they can be seen or heard by youth

OTTAWA, Dec. 19, 2019 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is concerned by the rapid rise in youth vaping, and is taking action to address it. Working with other orders of governments, the medical community and other stakeholders, the government will do more to protect youth from the risks of vaping.

That is why the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, proposed today new regulations to prohibit the promotion and advertising of vaping products anywhere they can be seen or heard by youth. This means that young Canadians would no longer see advertising for vaping products in public spaces, in convenience stores or online. Marketing of vaping products would be allowed only in specialty shops, businesses and online spaces accessible by adults.

We also know that many youth don't think about vaping the way they think about smoking. To ensure that Canadians are aware of the risks of vaping and nicotine addiction, Minister Hajdu also announced new mandatory health warnings on vaping product packaging. Packaging will be required to be child resistant, and limits will be placed on nicotine content to ensure that vaping products are not toxic to children if accidentally ingested.

Building on consultations begun earlier this year, additional measures with respect to reducing nicotine concentration limits and additional flavour restrictions are being examined, using the best available evidence.

These new measures will better protect youth from the harms of vaping and, with continued public education, reduce the appeal of vaping products.

Quotes

"The latest statistics – which show that vaping has doubled among high school students – are alarming. We share the concerns of many parents, medical professionals and health officials. We are working with experts and all Canadians to find ways to prevent youth from vaping. The new measures announced today will help, but there is more to do. We are working on further steps to protect youth and our message remains clear: vaping comes with serious risks."

The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Health

Quick Facts

• The proposed regulations will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on December 21, 2019. The public comment period for these regulations will be open for 30 days.
• Public education continues: Health Canada has invested more than $9 million in a national public education campaign—Consider the Consequences of Vaping—which launched in December 2018 to inform youth and their parents of the harms and risks of vaping. A recent evaluation of the advertising campaign found that 26% of teens who reported having seen the ads decided not to try vaping as a result.
• Enforcement continues: between July and December 2019, Health Canada inspectors visited more than 3,000 specialty vape shops and convenience stores across the country, seizing more than 80,000 units of non-compliant vaping products. More than eighty percent of the specialty vape shops inspected were found to be selling and promoting products in violation of the law. The Department has also taken action to shut down illegal promotions by major national brands this year.
• The new rules announced today, as well as public education and enforcement, are key given the vaping-related results of the 2018-19 Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey. The survey results show that youth vaping rates have doubled over the last two years and that youth are vaping more frequently.

Associated Links

• Backgrounder on regulation of vaping products in Canada
• Backgrounder on public education campaign on vaping
• Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey 2018-19

SOURCE Health Canada

Thierry Bélair, Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations, Health Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Inquiries: 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709