Imperial Tobacco Canada strongly criticized Health Canada’s decision to limit flavored vape products to just tobacco and menthol. The amount of nicotine allowed in vape products will also be limited to 20mg/ml.
"It is mindboggling to see Health Canada introduce a measure that will make vaping, a less harmful alternative to smoking, much less appealing to adult smoking," said Eric Gagnon, vice president, corporate and regulatory affairs for Imperial Tobacco Canada. “Health Canada [has] clearly demonstrated they have no intention of endorsing the concept of harm reduction when dealing with tobacco use.
“For decades the tobacco industry was asked to develop less harmful alternatives," he added. We now have a less harmful alternative that consumers enjoy, and Health Canada is going to great lengths to prevent adult smokers from switching."
Gagnon also said, "The way to deal with youth vaping is not to make products less appealing to adults but to enforce existing regulations. It is already illegal to sell vaping products to minors and it is also illegal to sell vaping products with confectionary or dessert flavors that could be deemed appealing to youth. Anyone that breaks the law should be severely punished."
In a separate release, Gagnon said, "Many activists are using the argument of youth vaping to advance their moralistic agenda on tobacco and nicotine which will do nothing to curb youth consumption. We all agree youth should not vape or smoke. But let's talk science, fact, and evidence. Let's have a balanced and rational debate. We are discouraged by these restrictions that will only serve to further penalize adult consumers looking for a safer way to consume nicotine."
The new limits for vape manufacturers go into effect on July 8, with products barred from sales in retail shops by July 23.