Menu

Vaping

No thanks! Quit smoking concept

National Non-Smoking Week is January 18 to 24

, , ,

The National Non-Smoking Week takes place Sunday, January 18 to Saturday, January 24 across Canada.

The Canadian Cancer Society says this annual campaign since 1977, educates Canadians on the health effects of smoking and supports them to quit.

The Society says tobacco is the leading preventable cause of disease and death which kills 46,000 Canadians each year, including about 30 per cent of all cancer deaths.

There are 3.6 million people in Canada smoke which is 11 per cent of the population, according to a 2024 Canadian Community Health Survey.

That number is down substantially from 50 per cent of Canadians who smoked in 1965.

The goal of the Society is to achieve under 5 per cent tobacco users by 2035.

They say there’s also a tremendous concern about youth becoming addicted to e-cigarettes.

According to a 2023 Canadian Student Alcohol and Drugs Survey, a growing major concern is 27 per cent of grade 12 students are vaping in Canada,

Direct health care costs from tobacco in Canada total $5.4 billion per year.

Provinces and territories are expected to collectively receive $24.7 billion in funds from the 2025 tobacco lawsuit settlement over time, which provides the opportunity to strengthen the government’s tobacco control strategies.

16161316908_1e14effcb0-e1568916274312

Canada Proposes Lower Nicotine Limits For Vaping

, , , , , ,

Some controversial changes proposed for vaping products hope to cut down on vaping among youth..

The federal government is looking at lowering the nicotine concentration limit to 20 milligrams of nicotine per millilitre of product, down from 66mg/mL.

The Canadian Cancer Society is praising the idea, calling it essential to reduce youth vaping. Between 2017 and 2019, the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey found vaping doubled among students.

However, officials in the tobacco industry say it’ll make it harder for smokers to switch to vaping as a way to reduce or quit nicotine.

Eric Gagnon, Vice President of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Imperial Tobacco Canada claims the lower limits will push many former smokers who now vape back to smoking to satisfy nicotine cravings.

elliott20health20cuts-1

Provincial Crackdown On Vaping

, ,

Ontario is taking additional action to protect children and youth from the health risks of vaping.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says the proposed changes would limit where flavoured and high nicotine vapour products are sold at retail stores.

Elliott says the government also plans to expand prevention efforts and bolster services to help people quit vaping.

If approved, the changes would come into effect this spring.

Elliott says the seven proposed changes are the result of extensive consultations, stressing there’s a clear case for action to curb the alarming increase in youth vaping.

Ontario is also calling on the federal government to create a national tax on vaping products.

Here is the seven point provincial plan:
1. Increasing access to services to help people quit vaping by expanding Telehealth Ontario
2. Restricting the retail sale of flavoured vapour products to specialty vape stores and cannabis retail stores, which are restricted to people aged 19 and over, with the exception of menthol, mint and tobacco flavours
3. Restricting the retail sale of high nicotine vapour products (more than 20mg/ml) to specialty vape stores
4. Working with major online retailers of vapour products and stakeholders to ensure compliance with age-based sales restrictions for online sales
5. Requiring specialty vape stores to ensure that vapour product displays, and promotions are not visible from outside their stores
6. Enhancing mental health and addiction services and resources to include vaping and nicotine addiction
7. Establishing a Youth Advisory Committee to provide advice on vaping issues.

vaping-pixabay-800x450-2

Government Asked To Restrict E-Cigarettes

, , , , ,

The provincial government is being asked to increase the taxes on e-cigarettes.

The request comes from Stephen Piazza with the Canadian Cancer Society.

“We believe the tobacco industry should bare the cost of helping people quit their harmful products. Ontario can implement a cost recovery fee that tobacco companies can pay based on their market share to recuperate the costs of the Smoke Free Ontario strategy.”

Piazza says that program comes with a $44-million price tag.

He stresses an additional tax on vaping products will discourage youth from taking up the habit in the first place.

Piazza notes B.C. already has a tax, while Alberta and Prince Edward Island set to follow suit in the coming months.

Piazza is also calling on the government to restrict the number of flavours in e-cigarettes.

He says there are over 7,000 of these products.

Piazza states these flavours appeal to youth, resulting in increased health hazards for our younger generation.

vaping-1

Warning Regarding Cannabis Vaping

, ,

Health officials are sharing their concerns around smoking and vaping cannabis.

Dr. Jennifer Russell says vaping especially poses potential risks for lung damage.

She says should you choose to vape you cannabis, use legal products that have been tested and approved by Health Canada.

Dr. Russell stresses don’t change or tamper with the product.

She adds you should avoid inhaling cannabis deeply or holding your breath after inhaling.

Dr. Russell says there are many edible options on the market now, which can be a safer alternative.

That doesn’t mean they are risk-free either: ingesting too much can lead to unwanted affects like anxiety, nausea and paranoia.

If you are new to using cannabis, Dr. Russell says go slow, use small doses and be patient.

She adds don’t mix vaping with alcohol.

vaping-1

Health Unit Urges Public To Stop Vaping

,

The Northwestern Health Unit fully supports a provincial directive to require hospitals to surrender information related to severe cases of vaping-related pulmonary disease.

Health Minister Christine Elliott made the order this week after a report of a serious vaping-related illness in London, as well as hundreds of cases in the United States, including seven deaths.

Elliott adds the information must not identify patients, but will be used to give better data about this issue which is greatly affecting young people.

Dr. Ian Gemmill is the local Acting Medical Officer of Health and he says there is mounting evidence linking vaping to serious short and long-term health complications.

Gemmill says it seems almost mad to put unknown chemicals into our lungs.

He stresses it’s essential to life that we get oxygen to pass into our blood stream.

Gemmill stresses “Not taking up vaping or stopping vaping at this point in time is the best possible advice I can give until we know more. I know that vaping can be helpful to smokers who are trying to quit, but nobody else should be engaged in this at the best of times. And at this time I suggest that nobody do it.”

Gemmill notes the danger right now is that the ingredients in various vaping cartridges can be so very variable, that it’s really hard to sort out who’s been exposed to what.

He states more information and data is needed to understand the potential scope of the issue.

“This is not an infectious disease, so there’s no intervention that we would take. This is a disease that is caused by the fact that people have adopted a behaviour which exposes them to potentially toxic chemicals that have a negative influence on our lungs.”

Health Canada says the symptoms include cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue and vomiting.

A survey done for Health Canada found that one-fifth of high school students report using vaping products, as are one-seventh of children aged 13 and 14.

To hear more from Dr. Ian Gemmill, visit the Audio link below.