Canada has set an ambitious goal of reducing smoking prevalence to below 5 per cent by 2035, according to the Canadian Vaping Association. However, Canada now seems unlikely to achieve this goal, with some calling the program incremental, unstable and passive tobacco control.

It is clear that traditional tobacco control measures, resulting in modest declines, are insufficient to achieve this goal.

Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) products have shown considerable effects in reducing smoking prevalence.

"We've known the risks of smoking for decades. We've known that it's smoke, not nicotine. We also know that we can deliver nicotine in a way that minimizes risk." Chair of the Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics at the University of Ottawa. Adjunct Professor of Law, Professor David Svenor, said.

“As a result, Sweden has by far the lowest tobacco-related disease and death rates in the EU. Their smoking rates are now low enough that many would call it a smoke-free society. When Norway allows wider use of snus products, Smoking has halved in just 10 years. When Iceland allowed vaping products and snus on the market, smoking dropped by about 40% in just three years,” he said.

The stated purpose of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) is to protect youth and non-smokers from tobacco and vaping products and to ensure that Canadians are properly informed about the associated risks. The 2018 amendments “… seek to regulate vaping products in a way that emphasizes their harm to youth and non-tobacco users. At the same time, it acknowledges emerging evidence that while vaping products are not harmless, E-cigarette products are a less harmful source of nicotine for people who smoke and quit smoking altogether."

Although the TVPA established a strong framework to protect youth and non-smokers, in addition to acknowledging the reduced risk associated with vaping, the bill prevents smokers from receiving accurate information about vaping.

Regulation has been reactive in recent years, running counter to Health Canada's acknowledgment that vaping reduces risk. Increased regulation has played a considerable role in reinforcing public misconceptions about e-cigarettes. 48,000 Canadians still die each year from smoking-related illnesses, and health authorities are sending mixed messages to smokers and perpetuating the myth of vaping.

"Canada is unlikely to achieve its goals without an accomplished program that employs a modern approach. The health of Canadians is best served by implementing THR strategies, as evidenced by the impact of e-cigarettes on smoking rates."

Before mainstream adoption of nicotine e-cigarettes, the results of traditional tobacco control policies were relatively stagnant for years. Cigarette sales fell slowly between 2011 and 2018, then declined rapidly in 2019, the peak of e-cigarette adoption, said Darryl Tempest, a government relations adviser to the CVA Council.

New Zealand faces similar challenges in eradicating tobacco use, including increased rates of Aboriginal smoking. New Zealand has sent a clear message to smokers that vaping is less harmful than smoking and allows the use of flavoured vaping products. A multifaceted and modern approach to reducing tobacco use enables New Zealand to continue on its goal of becoming smoke-free by 2025.

Canada must stop reactionary amendments to the TVPA and adopt modern solutions to make Canada a smoke-free society by 2035.

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