Changes in Canadian E-cigarette Market

According to the latest data from the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey (CTNS), released by Statistics Canada on September 11th, nearly half of young adults aged 20 to 24 and approximately one-third of teenagers aged 15 to 19 have reported trying e-cigarettes at least once.

New Regulations Bring Transformation

Just three months ago, a new report from Canada demanded changes in the e-cigarette market for both retailers and manufacturers, bringing order to what was once known as the "Wild West" industry. These regulations now require companies to submit biannual sales data and ingredient lists to the Canadian Health Department, with the first report due by the end of this year. The main goal is to gain a better understanding of the popularity of e-cigarette products, particularly among adolescents, and to identify the specific components users are inhaling.

In addition, various provinces have taken action, with Quebec planning to ban flavored pods from October 31st. According to the province's regulations, only tobacco-flavored or flavorless e-cigarette pods will be allowed for sale in Quebec. This move has sparked anger among the e-cigarette industry, but has been welcomed by anti-smoking advocates.

As of September, six provinces and regions have banned or planned to ban the sale of most flavors of e-cigarette pods: Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Quebec (to be effective from October 31).

Ontario, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan have implemented regulations that only permit specialized e-cigarette stores to sell flavored e-cigarette liquid, with minors being restricted from entering.

Protecting Health Becomes Priority

Rob Cunningham, a representative from the Canadian Cancer Society, is advocating for improved research, healthcare, and protective measures at the federal level. He emphasizes the need for the federal government to take action and implement the draft regulations proposed by the Department of Health in 2021, which would impose restrictions on all e-cigarette flavors nationwide, except for tobacco, menthol, and mint flavors.

During an interview with Global News, he stated,"E-cigarettes are highly addictive. They pose health risks, and we still don't know the full extent of their long-term dangers."

Darryl Tempest, Government Relations Legal Counsel for the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA), refuted claims that flavors could potentially cause more harm, arguing that many adults who use e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool often rely on flavors.

He said,"This is not about morals, but about minimizing harm. This point has been overlooked."

Despite the availability of other flavors such as mint, Tampa's test compared several flavored alcoholic beverages with flavored e-cigarette products. However, it should be noted that the government has not made any efforts to ban these products.