Government of Canada shares findings from first Tobacco and Vaping Products Act legislative review

From: Health Canada

News release

December 9, 2022 | Ottawa, ON | Health Canada

Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, tabled the results of the first legislative review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) in Parliament. This review focused primarily on the vaping-related provisions of the TVPA, which includes an obligation for a legislative review three years after coming into force, followed by subsequent reviews every two years.   

Informed by public consultations and available evidence, which included peer-reviewed scientific journal publications, population-level surveys, and public opinion research, the review’s findings suggest that the TVPA is making progress towards meeting the objectives it set out in relation to vaping. Notably, youth vaping rates, which were rising at a rapid pace, have leveled off over the past two years yet remain relatively high with more work to be done to protect youth.

The review also identified areas for potential action, including examining access to vaping products by youth, communicating the potential benefits of vaping as a less harmful source of nicotine for people who smoke and completely switch to vaping as well as the health hazards, strengthening compliance and enforcement, and addressing scientific and product uncertainty to better understand the vaping product market and the health impacts of vaping.

The Government of Canada continues to work collaboratively with partners and key stakeholders to protect Canadians from the harms of smoking and nicotine addiction using the best available data and evidence.

Quotes

“Vaping products offer the 3.8 million Canadians who smoke a less harmful source of nicotine than tobacco products, and do help people to stop smoking. These products, however, are not without risk — particularly to youth and people who do not smoke cigarettes. This first legislative review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act is a valuable opportunity to take stock of the progress we’ve made to address youth vaping - but there is more to do. Our government will continue to work to put the right safeguards in place to protect young people from the harms of vaping and nicotine addiction.”    

The Honourable Carolyn Bennett
Minister of Mental Health and Addiction and Associate Minister of Health

“We are committed to using all tools at our disposal to protect young people and people who do not smoke from the harms of vaping and nicotine addiction. As vaping continues to present a complex public health challenge; the TVPA plays an important role in supporting public education and regulations that can contribute to decreasing youth vaping rates in Canada. Building on input received through this review, we will continue to strengthen TVPA to address youth vaping.”

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health

Quick facts

  • The TVPA was implemented in 2018 to respond to the increasing availability of vaping products in Canada and to help ensure that Canadians would be informed about and protected from the health hazards associated with vaping. It regulates the manufacture, sale, labelling and promotion of vaping products sold in Canada.

  • The TVPA includes a requirement for a legislative review three years after coming-into-force, and every two years thereafter. Periodic reviews provide a means to examine and respond to tobacco and/or vaping related issues that may emerge over time.

  • The review was informed by a public consultation that ran from March 16, 2022 to April 27, 2022. Canadians were encouraged to provide feedback on a TVPA Legislative Review Discussion Paper. Health Canada received 3,092 submissions as part of the public consultation.

  • Information to help Canadians to quit smoking is available at Canada.ca/quitsmoking.

  • Health Canada provided financial support to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to develop Lower-Risk Nicotine Use Guidelines. The Guidelines recommend that people who smoke cigarettes should try to quit using approved smoking cessation treatments first. If they are unable or unwilling to quit, vaping or e-cigarettes can be considered.

  • The TVPA supports the objectives of Canada’s Tobacco Strategy, including helping people who smoke to quit tobacco and protecting youth and non-tobacco users from nicotine addiction.

Associated links

Contacts

Maja Staka
Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
343-552-5568

Guillaume Bertrand
Senior Communications Advisor and Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health
613-957-0200

Media Relations
Health Canada
613-957-2983
media@hc-sc.gc.ca

Public Inquiries:
613-957-2991
1-866-225-0709

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