Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch: Tobacco Control Directorate
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About
The Tobacco Control Directorate is part of the Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch of Health Canada. The directorate supports the Branch by leading Canada's Tobacco Strategy, a comprehensive strategy to significantly reduce rates of tobacco-related death and disease in Canada.
The directorate works to implement the strategy with its federal partners, provinces and territories, the health community and other stakeholders.
Responsibilities
The directorate is responsible for:
- administering and enforcing the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act, which regulates the manufacture, sale, labelling and promotion of tobacco and vaping products
- delivering scientific research to support policy and regulatory initiatives
- promoting innovation through grants and contributions
- conducting surveillance in support of Canada's Tobacco Strategy
The directorate's work aims to:
- inform people in Canada about the health risks associated with the use of tobacco and vaping products
- protect people in Canada from inducements to use tobacco products as well as youth and people who do not use tobacco from inducements to use vaping products
- help people in Canada quit using tobacco or reduce the harms of their addiction to nicotine
- strengthen the science, surveillance and partnerships required for effective tobacco control
- contribute to global efforts to address tobacco-related death and disease
The following Canadian federal legislation and international convention govern the directorate's mandate:
- The Tobacco and Vaping Products Act
- The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
Offices and functions
The directorate's organizational structure includes the following functional units:
Director General's Office
The Director General's Office oversees and manages the work of the directorate. The Director General also:
- chairs the federal committee on Canada's Tobacco Strategy
- serves as Secretary to the Scientific Advisory Board on Vaping Products
- co-chairs the federal, provincial and territorial Tobacco Control Liaison Committee
Office of Research and Surveillance
The Office of Research and Surveillance provides the foundational evidence supporting the Directorate's policy and regulatory initiatives. The office:
- leads national surveillance for tobacco and vaping product use and trends
- performs business intelligence activities to understand the tobacco and vaping markets
- conducts research to understand the views and motives of people in Canada related to nicotine product use
In addition, it hosts Health Canada's vaping products laboratory, which tests the chemical and toxicological properties of vaping and tobacco products.
Office of Policy and Strategic Planning
The Office of Policy and Strategic Planning develops policies, strategies, frameworks and legislation related to tobacco and vaping products. The office:
- coordinates and manages domestic and international stakeholder relations
- collaborates with provincial and territorial governments to implement pan-Canadian tobacco and vaping control programs
- develops and distributes public education and stakeholder engagement resources
- serves as Canada's focal point for the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and provides input on global tobacco-related issues
- supports the legislated cyclical review of the provisions and operations of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act
- works to advance Canada's Tobacco Strategy by examining and proposing policy options
Office of Compliance and Regulatory Affairs
The Office of Compliance and Regulatory Affairs identifies, develops, and amends legislation and regulations under the authority of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act and conducts compliance policy and enforcement activities. The office:
- leads and conducts compliance policy and enforcement activities with Health Canada's Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch
- administers compliance and enforcement of reporting regulations
- establishes compliance and enforcement policies, procedures and processes for the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act and its regulations
- develops and delivers training to tobacco and vaping product inspectors on the application of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act and its regulations
The Systems Configurations Unit manages the information technology systems required for the planning, tracking and reporting of compliance and enforcement activities.
Contact us
Tobacco Control Directorate
Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch
Health Canada
Postal Locator: 0302A
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0K9
E-mail: tcp.questions-plt@hc-sc.gc.ca
Telephone: 1-866-318-1116