Canada Refocuses Federal Tobacco Control Strategy to Regulate Vaping Products

In September 2016, the Canadian government announced the "next steps in tobacco control": the Health Minister confirmed that the federal government is introducing new tobacco legislation to regulate vaping products.

To address the growing popularity of e-cigarettes, the Canadian federal government announced the introduction of amendments to the Tobacco Act "to establish a new legislative framework for regulating these products." The repositioning of the tobacco control strategy is expected to be implemented in the fall of 2016.

With this new framework, Health Minister Jane Philpott aims to "protect youth from nicotine addiction and tobacco use while allowing adult smokers to legally use vaping products to quit smoking or as a substitute."

The department expects to take a year to update the federal tobacco control strategy to give the government enough time to develop a new effective long-term plan. This strategy was launched in 2001 and was last updated four years ago.

The federal government's work will continue to recommend a ban on menthol cigarettes and commit to introducing simple and standardized packaging requirements for all tobacco products.

Health Canada announced that their goal is to involve all stakeholders, Indigenous partners, provinces, and territories. A national forum will also be held in early 2017 to discuss the future of tobacco control and to gather extensive feedback from various parties.

Whether in support of or against vaping, the federal government is expected to send a strong message, as provincial governments have faced pressure in regulating vaping products. In this regard, a clear statement in favor of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation is that the federal government seems to intend to align with the UK. Both countries have seen a decline in smoking rates.

However, time is of the essence, as the government expects 87,000 people to become daily smokers in 2016, many of whom are teenagers. The smoking rate in Indigenous communities is significantly higher than the national average.

Canada was the first country to introduce graphic warning labels to inform about the dangers of smoking, and the government claims to be a pioneer in restricting tobacco advertising and flavored tobacco.