Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Proposes Regulatory Changes to Make Canada the First Smoke-Free Country in the World

TORONTO, May 30, 2022 /CNW/ - Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. (RBH) recommends Health Canada modernize the country's top tobacco and vaping law with changes that could make Canada the first smoke-free country in the world.

RBH submitted its recommendations to Health Canada as part of the consultation on the first mandatory review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA). RBH believes the incorporation of pragmatic harm-reduction approaches to regulation, as have been done recently in New Zealand, could accelerate the move away from cigarettes for the more than 10 per cent of Canadians that still smoke.

RBH's top recommendations included:

• Prevent youth initiation via stronger age verification rules, practices, and penalties: RBH is calling for stricter rules and enforcement of age verification for the delivery and sale of nicotine products, including tougher penalties on retailers to prevent sales to minors.
• Allow for informed choices with increased consumer access to information: Canada's existing adult smokers require better awareness of and access to information about the risks of smoke-free alternatives compared to cigarettes to allow them to make better choices.
• Regulate different products according to the different risks and harms they pose: Innovative and scientifically-substantiated smoke-free products should be regulated differently than cigarettes because they have the potential to significantly reduce the level of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.

RBH's submission will be available after the completion of Health Canada's legislative review. For more information, please contact [email protected].

To learn more about RBH's vision for a smoke-free future, visit: https://www.rbhinc.ca/home/what-we-believe

Quote: Jeff Gaulin, Director, External Affairs, RBH

• Canada can become the first smoke-free country in the world by modernizing the TVPA and embracing tobacco harm-reduction policies to help adult smokers while still fiercely protecting youth uptake.
• The challenge is that regulations in Canada have not kept pace with the innovation of smoke-free technologies. This review is an opportunity for industry to be at the table to help ensure that our shared goal of a smoke-free future can be achieved as fast as possible.
• Canada's approximately 3.9 million existing smokers should be given access to the appropriate information about alternatives to make an informed choice on vaping or heated tobacco products.
• We believe that the regulations should also recognize that not all nicotine products are the same. Products should be regulated according to the risks they pose compared to smoking to help the transition away from cigarettes.
• Smoke-free technologies such as vaping or heated tobacco products are not risk-free and they are addictive, but a growing body of scientific research around the world shows they have the potential of being significantly less harmful for adult smokers than cigarettes.
• By modernizing the TVPA, Canada has the chance to be a progressive leader and show the world the blueprint for how to help its existing smokers and create a world without cigarettes.

About Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc.

Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc., an affiliate of Philip Morris International Inc., is one of Canada's leading tobacco companies and employs nearly 800 people across the country with its headquarters in Toronto and a factory in Québec City. RBH is a certified Top Employer 2020 in Canada for excellence in employee conditions. For more information visit our website. 

SOURCE Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc.

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