The province has announced new measures to address vaping by young people and is seeking consultation from the public.
These measures include a proposal for additional advertising restrictions on vaping and a new public education campaign targeted at young people.
Canada already has a regulatory framework for vaping products in place through the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act, which prohibits advertising that appeals to youth.
The proposed rules would restrict where advertisements could be displayed to limit their visibility to young people. They would also require health warning messages on permitted advertisements, and would restrict the display of vaping products at points of sale.
Alyssa Bedard, Community Health Promoter with the Healthy Schools Program at the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit says that vaping products are still quite new and there have not been studies conducted that reveal long term effects of vaping.
“When you’re vaping, you’re inhaling different chemicals that are used for flavouring, things like formaldehyde and certain metals and we know that some of these chemicals are linked to negative health effects but we’re still learning how vaping these substances can affect health,” she said.
The Government of Canada’s new public education campaign to raise awareness, particularly among youth, of the harms and risks of vaping. The campaign invites kids to consider the consequences of vaping and equips parents and other trusted adults with tools and resources to support conversations with teenagers about the health risks of vaping. The campaign will continue throughout the year.
The Notice of Intent initiates a 45-day consultation period. Health Canada will consider the comments received through this consultation in the drafting of new proposed regulations. All residents are encouraged to provide their feedback on proposals to protect youth and non-smokers from the harms and risks associated with vaping products.
In addition to the Notice of Intent, Health Canada will post in March, another consultation document seeking comments on further measures being considered to address and reverse the recent trends of youth vaping. Some of these additional measures could include examining the role of flavours, nicotine concentration and product design in making vaping products appealing to youth and non-smokers.