With one simple action, millions of our healthcare dollars would be saved
As two university students, we’ve seen too many of our friends suffer health consequences arising from vaping, also known as e-cigarettes. Unfortunately, vaping has become increasingly prevalent among young Canadians — but one policy can go a long way to reversing this.
Canada needs to ban the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes. Now.
We’ve seen too many of our friends get hooked. It usually starts innocently enough — a fun way to socialize at a party or relieve some stress. Sometimes, it’s just about following the crowd as young people do. And why not? Can a mint-flavoured vape really be much different from the candy mints we’ve all chewed on since we were kids?
That vape might taste like mint, but it comes packed with addictive nicotine alongside many other toxic chemicals which will wreak havoc on your lungs and overall health. Much like traditional cigarettes, research shows vapes are dangerous, especially for youth.
Vaping can lead to a laundry list of bad health outcomes, including an increased risk of infections, a weakened immune system, oral health issues, respiratory problems, high blood pressure, damaged blood vessels and cardiovascular diseases. New evidence also shows there is potential for e-cigarettes to be a gateway to cigarette use and nicotine addiction.
Vaping is a preventable form of both illness and cost to the healthcare system. That’s why we’re trying to do something about it and the time to act is now.
We are both health research students and know that if we have the chance to prevent a generation of young people from becoming addicted to nicotine and developing cardiovascular and respiratory health conditions, it must be seized before it is too late. We’ve already noticed early health consequences in our friends, underscoring the urgency to act.
That’s why we’re calling for the government to push ahead with regulations to ban vape flavours like bubble gum and candy. These regulations were drafted two years ago, yet they have still not been put into effect. It is also imperative that the government add mint and menthol flavours to this list.
What this means is that only tobacco-flavoured vapes would remain on the market, still allowing e-cigarettes to remain available.
We are very pleased that in less than three weeks, a petition calling on the federal government to ban all flavours except tobacco secured the necessary 500 signatures, as well as approval for presentation in the House of Commons. This is yet another demonstration of broad support across the country for these regulations.
Recent surveys by Heart & Stroke have also shown more than 80 per cent of people in Canada support such a change.
Stringent regulations would also bring the federal rules in line with those already taken in some provinces. Quebec is the most recent province to take action, announcing in April that it would ban all flavours except tobacco. The federal government should ensure that all Canadian youth have the same protections.
The many flavours that are available now, including mint and menthol, make vaping seem like it’s a harmless habit. It all seems so innocuous, just like popping a candy into your mouth. Yet the experiences of our friends and the research shows that these devices are more harmful than they appear.
We call on the federal government to send this message loud and clear — and enact regulations to safeguard Canadian youth today.
Photo courtesy of DepositPhotos
