Canada has submitted the first legislative review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) to Parliament. According to a government press release, the review primarily focuses on provisions in the TVPA related to electronic cigarettes, including the obligation for a legislative review three years after its implementation, followed by a biennial review.
The review proposed by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Deputy Minister of Health, Carolyn Bennett, is based on a public consultation and existing evidence, including scientific journals with peer review, population surveys, and public opinion research.
Electronic cigarette products provide a less harmful source of nicotine for 3.8 million Canadians and can help people quit smoking. However, these products are not without risks, especially for young people and non-smokers, according to Bennett. The first legislative review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act is a valuable opportunity to evaluate progress in addressing youth vaping, but more work needs to be done. The government will continue to work on developing the right protective measures to prevent young people from the harms of e-cigarettes and nicotine addiction.
The review findings indicate that the TVPA is making progress towards achieving its set goals related to e-cigarettes. It is noteworthy that in the past two years, the use of e-cigarettes among young people has been rapidly increasing but has now stabilized at a relatively high level, prompting the need for more efforts to protect young people.
The TVPA, implemented in 2018, was designed to address the increasing availability of e-cigarette products in Canada and help ensure Canadians are aware of the associated health risks and protected. It regulates the manufacturing, sale, labeling, and promotion of e-cigarette products sold in Canada. The TVPA requires legislative reviews three years after coming into effect, and every two years thereafter. Regular reviews provide a way to examine and address tobacco and/or e-cigarette related issues that may arise over time. The review was conducted through a public consultation from March 16, 2022, to April 27, 2022. Canadians were encouraged to provide feedback on the TVPA legislative review discussion paper. As part of the public consultation, Health Canada received 3,092 submissions. For information on smoking cessation programs in Canada, visit Canada.ca/quitsmoking. Health Canada provides financial support to addiction and mental health centers to develop low-risk nicotine use guidelines. The guidelines recommend smokers try approved cessation treatments first before considering e-cigarettes. The review also identified areas where action may be taken, including examining youth access to e-cigarette products and promoting the potential benefits of e-cigarettes as a less harmful source of nicotine for smokers.
The report suggests that smokers should switch entirely to electronic cigarettes to address health risks, strengthen compliance and enforcement, and address uncertainties around science and product development, in order to gain a better understanding of the e-cigarette market and its impact on health.
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