The Canadian Vaping Association issues media statement

TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2019 /CNW/ - The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) has been expressing its concerns to government since March 2019 surrounding the increase in youth uptake of nicotine e-liquid that resulted from the entrance of the vape product branches of big tobacco companies into non-age-restricted retail locations, including gas stations and convenience stores. The data supports that youth uptake did not exist prior to the entrance into the marketplace of big tobacco vape brands, such as Juul and Vype, in mid-2018. Health agencies clearly described in their media reports on September 19, 2019 that youth uptake among 16 to 19 year olds climbed 74 per cent from 2017 to 2018. This data undoubtedly demonstrates that flavours, which have been around for well over a decade, are not the contributing factor to youth uptake but that youth access to vape products through non-adult verified retail locations are the true driver for this issue. As a result, the CVA responded on September 19, 2019 with a call to action for all federal, provincial and territorial governments to ban the sale of nicotine e-liquid vape products and all visible vape product marketing outside of adult-only access environments immediately.

"Nicotine e-liquid vape products must be removed from all convenience stores, gas stations and any retail location that is not age-restricted, and the egregious advertising programs found throughout these locations must be stopped immediately in order to address the concerns expressed by both Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor and the eight health organizations in Ottawa yesterday," said Darryl Tempest, Executive Director of the CVA.

"If we are going to have a real conversation about relative harm, the minister and all health organizations should be calling for an outright ban on the sale of combustible tobacco, which kills over 45,000 Canadians each year. According to Public Health England and the Royal College of Physicians, vaping is at least 95 per cent less harmful than combustible tobacco and the leading harm reduction tool for smokers. We need to change the narrative of the national conversation to focus on the unprecedented public health opportunity vaping provides Canadians seeking a much less harmful alternative to combustible tobacco" he added.  

According to Tempest, "Flavours have been miscast once again as the predominant source of youth uptake. Over the history of the vaping industry, tens of thousands of flavours have been introduced to the marketplace, and there has been little to no impact on youth uptake rates over this time. It was only after the mass introduction of non-age restricted retail locations, and the aggressive marketing of the products within these environments, that there has been a marked impact on youth vaping rates."

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 manufacturing, retail and online vaping businesses in Canada and has no tobacco companies, nor their affiliates, as part of their membership. 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 the 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]