BEAMSVILLE, Ontario, Sept. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The proposed annihilation of the Canadian vaping industry through a flavour ban has shocked nations across the world. Though once a leader in tobacco harm reduction, Canada now considers a regressive approach to regulation, while other Commonwealth countries embrace vaping. There is growing support for vaping from the academic and scientific communities, with prominent tobacco control authorities raising concern over the egregious regulations that have been propelled onto industry stakeholders and consumers alike. These supporters recognize the extraordinary harm reduction potential of vaping. The message that reverberates throughout the vaping community is the importance of a human life and the mental and physical health of those looking for harm reduction and an improved quality of life.
Smoking permeates every area of a person’s life as it has significant impacts on health, finances, relationships, and personal hygiene. As a person considers the multiple ways to eradicate smoking from their lives, there is an invisible layer that is added to the equation: the weight that smoking carries on their mental health. There are several facets that are impacted, where mental health becomes a burden to face, alongside the physical symptoms that are lived when a person quits cigarettes.
Smokers are often made to feel less than, due to their addiction, their inability to quit and the general issues that surround smoking. It is rare that a family member or colleague will acknowledge the inherent challenges that are faced when liberating oneself from the hold of tobacco. When a person finally does commit to quitting smoking, “they may also experience improvements in their mental health, such as reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms.” It’s vital for their lives and for those around them to comprehend the level of difficulty related to cessation, and the reason a harm reduction approach is necessary to support their initiatives.
“Vaping has been shown to be up to 95% less harmful than smoking, and twice as effective as Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). Yet, much of the Canadian public mistakenly believes that vaping is as or more harmful than smoking. A public understanding of vaping’s true relative risk is critically important. The goal of the vaping community is to offer smokers a harm reduction alternative. Without consumer confidence, vaping adoption by smokers will be lessened. As a harm reduction nation, Canada must ensure that smokers are receiving clear information and that an effective harm reduction tool is not invalidated by misperceptions. Removing flavours, a vital component in remaining smoke-free, will push thousands of Canadians back to smoking,” said Darryl Tempest, Executive Director of the CVA.
Smokers are our family, our friends and our coworkers. As a harm reduction nation, Canada must support them, with care and compassion, through support of their chosen harm reduction product. Vaping became a lifeline for the 1 million Canadians that sought out an alternative to the traditional cigarette. If properly supported, vaping has the potential to reduce smoking rates faster than previously thought possible.
The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) is a registered national, not-for-profit organization, established as the voice for the independent Canadian vaping industry. The CVA represents over 200 retail and online vaping businesses in Canada and has no funding or affiliation with tobacco companies or their affiliates. The CVA acts as a liaison with the federal and provincial governments on all legislative and regulatory issues related to the independent vape industry.
Contact Info:
Darryl Tempest, Executive Director
dtempest@thecva.org
647-274-1867
