Canadian Vaping Association Commends Law Enforcement's Actions

On March 29th, according to Canadian news outlet GlobeNewswire, the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) recently praised the police departments in Sanicich and Calgary for conducting investigations into businesses and individuals who were selling nicotine e-cigarette products to minors.

Multiple cases involving electronic cigarettes targeted at minors have been successfully uncovered.

The Gemini convenience store in Calgary, Alberta, has been fined $10,000 CAD (approximately RMB 50,000) for violating Canada's Tobacco and Vaping Products Act by selling electronic cigarette products to minors and failing to verify the age of customers under 25 years old.

The police in the city of Surrey, British Columbia, have uncovered a case involving the sale of nicotine and cannabis products to middle and high school students via the social media platform Snapchat. The confiscated products were valued at over 100,000 Canadian dollars (approximately 500,000 yuan), but no charges have been filed by the authorities.

The Sanich Police are collaborating with federal agencies to determine if any illegal activity occurred. The CVA aims to bring charges against the incident under the federal Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) and the Cannabis Act.

CVA urges increase in law enforcement resources.

The President of the Canadian Vaping Association, Darryl Tempest, states that "evidence has shown that regulations can effectively deter youth from attempting to purchase vaping products, but no amount of regulations can stop individuals who are willing to break the law. CVA is calling for an increase in enforcement resources and action to be taken by local law enforcement agencies to protect youth.

It is reported that Canada's punishment for selling to minors is currently too lenient and has not been effective in deterring such behavior. While initial criminal offenses may warrant a more forgiving approach, repeat offenses of selling to minors demand stricter fines and penalties. For those willing to break the law, small fines have become a standard cost of doing business, and the resulting consequences are perceived to be benign.

Investigations have revealed that electronic cigarettes are most commonly obtained by minors through social channels. The solution to preventing minors from illegally accessing these products is not increased regulation, but rather increased enforcement and dedicated resources for law enforcement.

Further reading:

The Canadian government will provide $6.03 million for research into electronic cigarettes.

Reference:

The Canadian Vaping Association has expressed appreciation for the efforts of law enforcement in preventing the sale of nicotine vaping products to minors.