Canadian Medical Association

May 31, 2019 – As we recognize World No Tobacco Day, we must acknowledge the concerning increase in vaping and e-cigarette use among younger Canadians. Acting now to reverse these trends is crucial to ensure the health of Canadians is not affected for generations to come.

The 2019 Tobacco Endgame Report Card is a sobering reminder that more work is needed to curb tobacco use, which remains the number one cause of preventable disease and death in Canada. Aligning our efforts − from policy to on-the-ground health services − is key to ensuring the right steps are taken to make a difference.

One of these steps will be to introduce stronger regulations around the promotion of vaping and e-cigarettes. Flashy colours and flavours make these products all too appealing for younger audiences and the government needs to move quickly to restrict their marketing. Even more concerning is the rising levels of nicotine available in vaping products, which has been proven to affect the developing brain. The onus is on our government to restrict nicotine levels and help prevent addiction among our youth.

The CMA was the first to raise concerns on the usage of tobacco in 1954. Today, we’re asking the government to get serious about reaching Canada’s ambitious goal: reduce tobacco use to less than 5% of the population by 2035. Our health depends on it.

Dr. Gigi Osler
CMA President

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