Latest news with #SamTam
Hamilton Spectator
30-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Canadian Vaping Association Highlights Plans to Reduce Youth Vaping Rates on World Vape Day
Ottawa, ON, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On World Vape Day, the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) celebrates the continued decline in youth vaping rates, as reported in Statistics Canada's 2025 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (published March 26, 2025). This progress (achieved without flavour bans) demonstrates the success of balanced policies that prioritize both youth protection and harm reduction for adult smokers. 'World Vape Day and World No Tobacco Day are pivotal moments to recognize vaping's role in harm reduction and advancing Health Canada's goal of reducing smoking rates to less than 5% by 2035,' said Sam Tam, President of the Canadian Vaping Association. With 1.9 million adult vapers in Canada, vaping remains one of the most effective harm reduction tools available. However, recent calls for a nationwide flavour ban, based on misrepresented youth vaping data, threatens to reverse this progress. 'Claims that the industry targets youth with appealing flavours are false and irresponsible. Vape flavour marketing to youth is illegal under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act and compliant businesses adhere strictly to these regulations,' Tam emphasized. Evidence from jurisdictions with flavour bans shows such policies fail to reduce youth vaping. Instead, they fuel illicit markets and force former smokers back to combustible cigarettes. Youth Vaping Rates Continue to Decline Statistics Canada data reveals a nearly 50% relative decline in youth vaping since 2019, a trend that contradicts current alarmist narratives. The CVA urges policymakers to focus on enforcement, education, and harm reduction rather than prohibition entirely. Health Canada has indicated the main reasons why youth experiment with vaping is because of peer pressure that stems from school stress, home life and responsibilities, family pressures, social media and desire to fit in and feel accepted by friends. Like underage use of alcohol or cannabis, addressing underage vaping requires targeted strategies, something a flavour ban will not solve. Today, on World Vape Day, the CVA reaffirms its support for Health Canada's Youth Vaping Prevention and Education Initiative , which provides free toolkits and online resources for parents, educators, and community leaders to educate youth on vaping risks. The 'I quit for me' program includes a guide for youth as well as a comprehensive Facilitator's guide for group programs A Balanced Path Forward The CVA advocates for policies that: 'Destroying a proven harm reduction tool is not the solution. Canada must continue its progress through smart regulation, not prohibition,' said Sam Tam. 'We call on all stakeholders—health organizations, public health officials, and even tobacco companies—to unite behind Health Canada's youth prevention resources. By aligning under one evidence-based program, we can further reduce youth vaping nationwide.' For youth vaping prevention resources, visit Health Canada's website: . About the Canadian Vaping Association The Canadian Vaping Association is the national voice for the vaping industry, advocating for sensible regulations that balance adult harm reduction with youth protection and education.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canadian Vaping Association Highlights Plans to Reduce Youth Vaping Rates on World Vape Day
Ottawa, ON, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On World Vape Day, the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) celebrates the continued decline in youth vaping rates, as reported in Statistics Canada's 2025 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (published March 26, 2025). This progress (achieved without flavour bans) demonstrates the success of balanced policies that prioritize both youth protection and harm reduction for adult smokers. 'World Vape Day and World No Tobacco Day are pivotal moments to recognize vaping's role in harm reduction and advancing Health Canada's goal of reducing smoking rates to less than 5% by 2035,' said Sam Tam, President of the Canadian Vaping Association. With 1.9 million adult vapers in Canada, vaping remains one of the most effective harm reduction tools available. However, recent calls for a nationwide flavour ban, based on misrepresented youth vaping data, threatens to reverse this progress. 'Claims that the industry targets youth with appealing flavours are false and irresponsible. Vape flavour marketing to youth is illegal under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act and compliant businesses adhere strictly to these regulations,' Tam emphasized. Evidence from jurisdictions with flavour bans shows such policies fail to reduce youth vaping. Instead, they fuel illicit markets and force former smokers back to combustible cigarettes. Youth Vaping Rates Continue to Decline Statistics Canada data reveals a nearly 50% relative decline in youth vaping since 2019, a trend that contradicts current alarmist narratives. The CVA urges policymakers to focus on enforcement, education, and harm reduction rather than prohibition entirely. Health Canada has indicated the main reasons why youth experiment with vaping is because of peer pressure that stems from school stress, home life and responsibilities, family pressures, social media and desire to fit in and feel accepted by friends. Like underage use of alcohol or cannabis, addressing underage vaping requires targeted strategies, something a flavour ban will not solve. Today, on World Vape Day, the CVA reaffirms its support for Health Canada's Youth Vaping Prevention and Education Initiative, which provides free toolkits and online resources for parents, educators, and community leaders to educate youth on vaping risks. The 'I quit for me' program includes a guide for youth as well as a comprehensive Facilitator's guide for group programs A Balanced Path Forward The CVA advocates for policies that: - Strengthen enforcement against underage sales and illicit products; - Expand youth-focused education on vaping risks; - Preserve flavoured vaping options for adults seeking harm reduction products. 'Destroying a proven harm reduction tool is not the solution. Canada must continue its progress through smart regulation, not prohibition,' said Sam Tam. 'We call on all stakeholders—health organizations, public health officials, and even tobacco companies—to unite behind Health Canada's youth prevention resources. By aligning under one evidence-based program, we can further reduce youth vaping nationwide.' For youth vaping prevention resources, visit Health Canada's website: About the Canadian Vaping Association The Canadian Vaping Association is the national voice for the vaping industry, advocating for sensible regulations that balance adult harm reduction with youth protection and education. CONTACT: Ashley Bouman The Canadian Vaping Association abouman@
Hamilton Spectator
21-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Youth Vaping Rates Plummet: Canadian Vaping Association Urges Shift to Adult Harm Reduction Strategies
Ottawa, ON, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Statistics Canada's latest findings from the 2025 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth reveal a dramatic decline in youth vaping, with past 30-day use among Canadians aged 12–17 dropping to 7.2%, a near 50% reduction from the peak rate of 13.2% recorded in 2019. Misleading Comparisons Undermine Evidence-Based Debate on Vaping Despite this clear progress, certain anti-vaping organizations continue to misrepresent data, inflating perceptions of youth vaping prevalence to justify restrictive policies that overlook the needs of adult consumers. In December 2024, Health Canada published the first Canadian Substance Use Survey (CSUS) 2023, which included a redesigned sampling methodology aimed at improving representation of respondents aged 15–24. Most importantly, the survey's Technical Notes explicitly caution against comparing the CSUS 2023 results to prior studies, including the Canadian Tobacco and Drug Survey (2013–2017) and the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey (2019–2022), due to the fundamental methodological changes. Despite this clear disclaimer, several prominent anti-vaping organizations erroneously compared the data regardless of the warnings, claiming 'a third of teenagers vape' as a justification to fast-track flavour restrictions. By blurring the line between adult and youth use and disregarding Health Canada's guidance, these groups distort public understanding, stifle meaningful health dialogues, and risk driving reactionary, unsound policy decisions. 'Misleading claims about youth vaping rates distract from the real public health opportunity: supporting adult smokers seeking less harmful alternatives,' said Sam Tam, President of the Canada Vaping Association. 'With youth use at historic lows, policymakers should now focus on harm reduction for the 4.6 million Canadian adults who smoke, the group that benefits the most from regulated, less harmful alternatives.' The CVA emphasizes that vaping remains an important tool for those looking to get off cigarettes, restricting access or imposing excessive regulations on adult-focused products risks driving former smokers back to deadly tobacco use or unregulated products purchased from illicit markets. 'The data is clear: youth vaping has been declining since its peak in 2019. However, it remains a critical issue, and CVA remains committed to prevention and education efforts to sustain this downward trend. Now is the time to build on this progress by ensuring that Canadians have access to accurate information and safer alternatives,' added Sam Tam. 'We call on health leaders and policymakers to align strategies with the evidence: protect youth through continued education and stronger enforcement, while empowering adults to make informed choices and reducing the stigma around being a smoker.' The decline in youth vaping coincides with the continued expansion of Canada's regulated age gated specialty vape retail industry, which enforces strict ID verification protocols and complies with federal and provincial regulations. These licensed retailers serve adults exclusively and represent one of the few consumer channels in Canada with mandatory age verification at both the point of sale and delivery. Moving forward, policymakers must prioritize accurate, science-driven data when creating fair and effective regulations that protect youth without sacrificing progress for Canadians looking to stop smoking. Misguided policies rooted in outdated or misrepresented statistics risk undermining harm reduction efforts, pushing former smokers back to cigarettes or fueling unregulated, illicit markets. By aligning regulations with the latest evidence, and rejecting fear-based narratives, Canada can continue its position as a global leader in balanced, progressive public health strategy. In the last year, there has been a lot of push for nationwide flavour bans as a means to end youth vaping. Prohibitive measures like this do little to stop youth from vaping and often backfire by pushing them further into the illicit market. When legal options are restricted, determined teens don't simply stop, they shift to unregulated sources where flavoured products are still widely available. These underground channels not only make it easier for youth to obtain vapes, but also expose them to untested, potentially more dangerous products. As history has shown with other forms of prohibition, restricting access doesn't eliminate demand, it just drives it into the shadows. The CVA remains committed to collaborating with governments, ministries and stakeholders to safeguard youth while continuing to offer less-harmful alternatives for adult consumers. By uniting evidence, innovation, and public health priorities, we can save lives, end preventable smoking-related deaths, and create a healthier Canada where harm reduction offers adults an escape from deadly tobacco addiction, once and for all. Key Notes:
