Federal government proposes new regulations on e-cigarette advertising

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Published December 20, 2019 at 2:07 am

The federal government has proposed new legislation regarding advertising e-cigarettes.

The federal government has proposed new legislation regarding advertising e-cigarettes.

The new regulations will prohibit the advertising of e-cigarettes except for locations youth do not have access to.
These new draft regulations will be subject to a 30-day consultation period.

“Widespread e-cigarette advertising has contributed to the dramatic increase in youth vaping,” Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst for the Canadian Cancer Society, said in a news release.

“These restrictions are strong and will protect youth from tobacco company marketing strategies and from exposure to e-cigarette advertising in social media, billboards, television, and other locations,” he continued.

The Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey found that e-cigarette use among teens has been increasing rapidly over the last few years.

The survey found that e-cigarette use among students in grades 10 to 12 has increased from 15 per cent in the 2016 to 2017 school year to 29 per cent in the 2018 to 2019 school year–nearly a 100 per cent increase.

Additionally, a study published in the British Medical Journal found there was a 74 per cent increase in vaping among 16- to 19-year-olds in Canada from 2017 to 2018.

“A comprehensive approach is needed to address youth vaping,” Cunningham said.

“We urge the federal government to move on a pressing basis to adopt other measures, including comprehensive restrictions on flavours, a maximum nicotine level of 20 mg/ml, and a tax on vaping products. We have made such progress at reducing youth smoking, that we do not need a new generation of youth addicted to nicotine through e-cigarettes,” he added.

Tobacco remains one of the biggest killers of Canadians–it’s the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the country; 45,000 Canadians die from tobacco-related illnesses every year, including 30 per cent of all cancer deaths.

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