MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, July 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) would like to respond directly to the “Minister’s Letter to Retail Associations Concerning Youth Vaping”. The CVA is Canada’s largest advocacy association and our membership has been at the forefront of youth protection since our inception in the fall of 2014. Our board and membership, in conjunction with our registered lobbyists, have proactively engaged with federal and provincial governments as Canada’s leading subject matter experts to assist in developing regulations that protect youth and ensure that this life saving platform is available to adult Canadian smokers. The retail vape product shop industry works to protect youth by restricting store access to adults only, unlike convenience stores or head shops, thus limiting youth access to vaping products and preventing marketing of vape products to youth. Speciality product vape shops took these steps long before national legislation and regulations were being considered by the government. Our membership knew that this was in the best interest of Canadians and took action to ensure that vape products would not be sold to minors. The vape industry is important to Canada, as it offers adult Canadian smokers an unprecedented harm reduction opportunity, combating Canada’s leading form of preventable death, and thus saving Canadian smokers and their families from the pain and suffering that comes with smoking related illnesses, and saving billions of tax dollars spent by the Canadian government on combating and treating illnesses related to smoking.
We have provided the government with prescriptive solutions within reports we prepared and submitted to Health Canada in response to both the governments Notice of Intent “Potential Measures to Reduce the Impact of Vaping Products Advertising on Youth and Non-Users of Tobacco Products” and to their Consultation “Reducing Youth Access and Appeal of Vaping Products: Potential Regulatory Measures”. Within the reports we submitted, we detailed our three key proposals in support of these measures: 1. Display and promotion in retail environments should be restricted to age of majority stores; 2. National and brand specific advertising should be restricted; and 3. Mandating that E-commerce and online sales must be delivered via an age verification platform. Additionally, in both of our responses, we have called on the government to establish an Industry Advisory Committee. We again make the request to The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor to establish such a committee which would bring all stakeholders together to tackle the challenges currently being faced within the industry.
“While the CVA and its membership share the concerns of the Minister regarding youth uptake, we have been working on this issue since 2014 with great success,” said Darryl Tempest, Executive Director and Lead Advocate of The Canadian Vaping Association. “As our industry has grown in 2018, there has been a rise in non-age restricted sales channels, which has coincided with the rise in youth vaping. We have also seen national brand marketing unlike anything seen since tobacco advertising was banned, which should concern all Canadians. Our membership and board members call on the Minister to establish an Industry Advisory Group where we can meet regularly to tackle real issues. We look forward to speaking with the Minister to see how we can work more closely to protect youth and meet our shared goal of eliminating combustible tobacco forever.”
The CVA’s Board of Directors and membership is comprised of individual organizations from manufacturing and retail speciality product vape shops. It is the Board’s responsibility to provide counsel and guidance in the direction and operation of the CVA as well to raise awareness of vaping with Government agencies, concerned stakeholders, and the community at large.
For more information or to arrange an interview contact:
Darryl Tempest
Executive Director The Canadian Vaping Association
Phone 1-800-826-7146
Fax 1-800-401-1348