QUESTION PERIOD — Health
Regulation of Vaping Fluids
December 10, 2019
Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.
Senator Harder, in the past few months, I think we have all seen many articles that address the great concern over youth vaping. For example, the investigation from the Globe and Mail in November titled “How the vaping industry is targeting teens — and getting away with it.” This investigation — you may have read it — revealed that e-cigarette companies are targeting youth; promotion of flavours such as cake, candy and ice cream. They’re hiring social media influencers to endorse products and run vaping giveaways. They’re boosting child-friendly e-liquid flavours online. They are running pop-up events staffed by attractive models and many other disturbing facts.
This, as we all know, is against existing federal regulations. Clearly, the rules are being ignored by the e-cigarette companies. I know that you can’t answer in details, but I think it’s fair to say that I’m quite worried about it. I think many members of the Senate are equally worried, and Canadians are worried. I think Canadians need to know what is being done to fill this regulatory void quickly. I think we all want to avoid growing a new generation of nicotine consumers.
I thank the honourable senator for her question. I know that the honourable senator and the Honourable Senator Seidman, particularly in consideration of the legislation, are working together along with other senators. The very question you raise is one that we debated in this chamber. How do you strike that balance between a technology, vaping, that some experts were asserting would be helpful in nicotine reduction by being a device that would wean cigarette smokers away from cigarettes while not be an introductory technology to new, particularly young and vulnerable people with vaping tools and the various attractions to vaping that you referred to?
The experts provided advice, and experience has given us how that has not unfolded quite the way some experts had predicted. That is why the government shares the concerns about the implications of the vaping legislation and the mandate that was given in the last Parliament to the vaping sector. There were restrictions on packaging, which again I think the Senate was instrumental on toughening, if I could use that word.
I want to assure the house that the government is working with the private sector to restrict advertising and is in the process of limiting vaping products, flavours, nicotine content and online availability. The government remains in close contact with the medical community to monitor cases of vaping-related illnesses and take appropriate action. I know that the new Minister of Health takes this issue as an early mandate must, and it is the intention of the government to move forward as I’ve described.
