February 23rd, 2022

MPP Gélinas reintroduces bill to protect kids from harms of vaping

QUEEN’S PARK — Ontario NDP health critic France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) is re-introducing her Vaping is not for Kids bill on Wednesday in the Ontario legislature.

“Too many kids have already taken up vaping while the government has dragged its feet on protecting them,” said MPP Gélinas. “Parents and families are worried. Their children are being exposed at an early age to vaping and the harms of nicotine addiction. We need to take action now to prevent long-term damage to their health.”

The Lung Health Foundation says research has shown that vaping can be harmful to the lungs and inhaling the toxic chemicals found in e-liquids can potentially cause long-term, irreversible damage to the lungs of youth.

“Today, young people continue to easily access vaping products near their schools and in their neighbourhoods. They are consuming without knowing the harm to them. It is alarming that the government does not do more to help families and schools protect their kids,” said Gélinas.

Gélinas’ bill sets up firm obligations on the Ministry of Health to prevent Ontario youth from picking up vaping and becoming addicted to nicotine. The NDP’s Vaping is not for Kids bill would prohibit the promotion of vaping products, restrict sales to specialty shops, bump the minimal legal age to 21, require Ontario Health to prepare an annual report on vaping usage and its health effects and set tax money aside for research and health promotion.

“Given what we are starting to see about the long-term effects of vaping, it’s imperative that Ontario uses the precautionary principal to keep these products away from our kids. We are still behind other jurisdictions when it comes to protecting our youth from the predatory practices of the vaping industry, and it is time to catch up,” said Gélinas.

Quotes:

Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst for the Canadian Cancer Society
“Youth vaping has increased dramatically and is of fundamental concern. We applaud the series of new measures in the bill, including minimum age 21 for tobacco and e-cigarettes, banning e-cigarette promotion and flavours, and limiting e-cigarette sales to specialty vape stores only. These measures will be effective at reducing youth vaping – the sooner the measures are implemented, the sooner youth will be protected from these addictive products.”

Dr. Atul Kapur, Executive Director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada
"It took decades for us to learn the health effects of smoking. We are now at the same early stages with vaping. If we are going to learn the lessons from smoking, we need to be more cautious in how we allow these products to be marketed. Recently, the legislature in Prince Edward Island unanimously adopted measures to protect youth in that province. We would hope and expect similar all-party support for this bill, too. Our enormous gratitude to Ms. Gélinas and her team for continued championing of this important file.”

Peter Glazier, Executive Vice President of the Lung Health Foundation
“The Lung Health Foundation remains concerned about the high rates of youth vaping in Ontario. The research available demonstrates that vaping can be harmful to the lungs in many different ways and inhaling the toxic chemicals found in e-liquids can potentially cause long-term, irreversible damage to the lungs of our youth. We are in favor of stricter regulations including: increased restrictions on the sale of vapour products and flavors, further constraining advertisements and promotions, limiting nicotine levels, and other measures that work towards protecting Ontarian youth from the lung health risks associated with vaping.”

Cathryn Hoy, RN, President of the Ontario Nurses’ Association
"Ontario nurses support further controls and limits on vaping, as proposed, that will put the health protection of Ontarians first,”

Liz Scanlon the Director of Health Policy and Systems at Heart & Stroke
“The dramatic rise in youth vaping in Ontario has changed the face of nicotine addiction. It is time that the Smoke-Free Ontario Act reflect this disturbing trend. Heart & Stroke strongly supports a range of measures, including those outlined in this legislation, to protect young people from the harmful effects of vaping.”