Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, tabled the results of the first legislative review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) in Parliament. This review focused primarily on the vaping-related provisions of the TVPA, which includes an obligation for a legislative review three years after coming into force, followed by subsequent reviews every two years.
Informed by public consultations and available evidence, which included peer-reviewed scientific journal publications, population-level surveys, and public opinion research, the review's findings suggest that the TVPA is making progress towards meeting the objectives it set out in relation to vaping. Notably, youth vaping rates, which were rising at a rapid pace, have leveled off over the past two years yet remain relatively high with more work to be done to protect youth.
The review also identified areas for potential action, including examining access to vaping products by youth, communicating the potential benefits of vaping as a less harmful source of nicotine for people who smoke and completely switch to vaping as well as the health hazards, strengthening compliance and enforcement, and addressing scientific and product uncertainty to better understand the vaping product market and the health impacts of vaping.
The Government of Canada continues to work collaboratively with partners and key stakeholders to protect Canadians from the harms of smoking and nicotine addiction using the best available data and evidence.
