The Safer Nicotine Summit
The Lord Elgin, Ottawa, November 12th & 13th
Why This Summit Matters
Smoke-free nicotine products—vapes, heated tobacco, and pouches—offer dramatically lower risk than cigarettes. Yet as these innovations improve, many jurisdictions, including Canada, are tightening restrictions, while cigarettes stay widely available. The result is a confusing patchwork of rules and punitive taxes that treat less harmful options the same as cigarettes and limit access for people who could benefit.
The Safer Nicotine Summit
The Safer Nicotine Summit (Nov 12–13, 2025) is a two-day, evidence-driven forum uniting public health, clinicians, policymakers, consumers, academics, industry, and enforcement to chart a pragmatic, science-based path forward—culminating in a draft Safer Nicotine Act.
“Nothing about us, without us.” Every stakeholder will have the opportunity to participate.
Summit Goals
Our goal is to replace siloed debate with open, good-faith communication among all stakeholders, public health, clinicians, consumers, regulators, researchers, industry, and enforcement, something Canada has rarely seen given the longstanding disinterest of traditional tobacco-control groups in engaging opposing views.
Exclusion has no place in public health; we cannot keep complaining about being left out, so we created a space where everyone is included and heard; including people with lived experience who quit smoking using a range of safer nicotine products (vaping, heated tobacco, and pouches).
Over two days, we’ll listen, test evidence, and learn together as we examine comparative risk, equity, harm reductions, and the economics of taxation and illicit markets, always aiming to improve access for adults who smoke to lower-risk alternatives.
The outcome is a pragmatic, coherent, evidence-based framework, culminating in draft recommendations for a modern Safer Nicotine Act.
November 12th – Insight & Inspiration
All are welcome, a day of learning
- Science – Latest research on safer nicotine
- Policy – Current & future Canadian landscapes
- Harm Reduction – Proven strategies to slash risk
- Economics – Market & fiscal impact
- Lived Experience – Personal stories from consumers
- Evening networking reception
November 13th – Action & Outcomes
A balanced group of stakeholders will participate on this day, with goal of getting a solid framework of what these regulations should look like.
- Guided workshops with regulatory experts
- Multidisciplinary working groups – max 20 participants per group
- Drafting the Safer Nicotine Act
- Consensusbuilding & refinement
- Presentation of the framework & next steps