Toronto, Ontario – March 15, 2024 – In an emotional presentation, Rights4Vapers spelled out the unintended consequences of a federal flavoured vaper products ban and echoed the calls from the one million Canadians who vape: “flavours helped us quit smoking”.
“Flavours are key for adults starting vaping as an alternative, linked to more attempts to quit and better success rates,” said Maria Papaioannoy, spokesperson for Rights4Vapers. “Banning flavours makes vaping less appealing for quitting. It also boosts illegal supplies and risky home mixing. Plus, studies reveal flavor bans don’t cut down youth vaping rates.”
Flavours have become one of the most controversial areas of the nicotine debate. The role of flavours in vaping and quit smoking products is complex. Adults who smoke say that flavours give them a reason to switch from the traditional cigarette. Having less-harmful alternatives that does not taste like tobacco is critical for smokers to initially make the switch and stick with it.
She said that federal regulators do not have to look far to see what will happen if they ban flavours. On October 31, 2023, Quebec banned all flavours of vapes (except tobacco), including mint and menthol.
“The Government of Quebec is not enforcing their new regulations. As a result, today in Quebec, you can purchase flavour enhancers and products pretty much anywhere,” Ms. Papaioannoy said. “The Government of Quebec has handed the vaping industry to the black market.”
The organization also called out the misguided and confusing proposed Ingredients List. Limiting flavours to tobacco and mint, is one thing, but to allow the use of only 82 pre-approved ingredients on the Health Canada list will be disastrous.
“One substance is suspected of causing genetic defects, three are suspected of harming fertility or the unborn child, six may cause cancer, and two are not safe for human consumption,” said Ms. Papaioannoy
Rights4Vapers presented three requests to Health Canada as the agency considers any new regulation:
- Work to stop the stigmatization of people who vape.
- Show leadership to the provinces. Today, there are a patchwork of regulations that make no sense. One way is to move forward with relative risk statements on vapour products.
- Keep flavours available to adult who smoke. Stopping kids from vaping is simple, enforce the current regulations. Anyone who sells a minor a vaping product is breaking the law, they should be fined.
For more information, please contact:
Rights4Vapers: media@rights4vapers.com
