After leaving the field (too) free to the vaping industry, Quebec would be ready to crack down.
Our journalist Tommy Chouinard revealed last Thursday that a draft regulation has just landed on the desk of the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé1. It should be adopted within the next few weeks.
It was time !
It has been understood for several years that the leaders of this industry have decided to target and trap young people.
And their strategy is working wonderfully, if we rely on the most recent data from the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec.
Nearly one in five teenagers vapot across the province, according to the Quebec survey on tobacco and vaping products which was published last fall. That is to say 18% of young people aged 15 to 17.
This is also the case for 15% of young people aged 18 to 24, while among those aged 25 and over, vaping is much less popular: we are talking about 2%.
Why this particular phenomenon among young people? Because we let the wolf into the fold. And that this one has very, very long teeth.
Let’s explain.
The vaping industry has done everything to make its product as cool as possible. From the design of the vaporizers to the tempting flavors put on the market, everything has been thought out to arouse the enthusiasm of young people.
We even learned in The duty two weeks ago, some vaping shops in Quebec started selling “exotic” candies. You will have understood that they are not trying to attract smokers who have been addicted to cigarettes for several decades!
On the government side, we mostly beat around the bush. Measures have been announced over the past five years, but nothing binding enough.
The purchase of vaping products is prohibited for young people under the age of 18, it is true. But to read the report by Alice Girard-Bossé published Friday in The Press2many traders don’t care.
Let’s open a parenthesis here to repeat that, yes, vapers remain useful for smokers who are looking for an effective way to quit smoking, particularly when they benefit from the follow-up of a health professional.
According to the current state of knowledge, vaping products are less harmful than tobacco products.
The problem is that a staggering number of young people who do not smoke are tempted by vaping. And the risk of developing an addiction to these new products is very real.
It is even more so if the doses of nicotine in the vaping liquid they use are higher than the concentration set by Ottawa – it is 20 milligrams per millilitre.
Fortunately, the Minister of Health and Social Services seems to intend to put his finger where it hurts.
Its proposed regulations would seek to prohibit the sale of vaping products with a flavor or aroma other than that of tobacco. This is what should have been done a long time ago, both by Quebec and by Ottawa.
Christian Dubé would also like to limit the nicotine concentration to 20 milligrams per millilitre, as the federal government has done. This would allow the inspectors of his Ministry to ensure that this rule is respected on Quebec territory.
However, we will keep a little embarrassment before applauding. Because this is not the first time that our elected officials have promised to act firmly. It’s obviously easier said than done.
The pressure from the industry is strong, because the youth market is holy bread for it.
After letting vaping become a public health problem, our elected officials have the responsibility to repair the damage as soon as possible.