The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA), a consumer and industry group advocating for electronic cigarettes and the vaping industry, has announced its opposition to a proposal to further restrict these products further throughout the province of Quebec.
“While our organization agrees with some of the proposed measures, others will have the unintended consequence of pushing ex-smokers back to smoking,” the statement from the CVA says.
The Montreal Gazette reports that Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé intends to ban flavored vaping products within the province.
“With the growing popularity of vaporization products, especially among young people, it becomes imperative to act to prevent a new generation from becoming addicted to nicotine because of these products,” Dubé said in a statement on December 9. The ministry released a public health report that justifies the action to further restrict the product category, due to the need to further ameliorate the youth vaping epidemic in their regions of Canada.
“Numerous studies show that [flavor] is the main reason why young people are more inclined to vape,” the public health report noted. “Indeed, [flavors], especially sweet ones and the way they are marketed increases the attractiveness of the product and decreases the perception of health risks.”