THERE'S STILL TIME FOR A BALANCED AND PROGRESSIVE APPROACH TO VAPING IN QUEBEC

MONTREAL, June 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Saturday, June 3 was the final day of the Quebec consultation period during which the public and interested parties could submit their opinions on the Government of Quebec's proposed bill that would, if adopted, ban all flavours in vaping products, except tobacco flavour. Imperial Tobacco Canada (ITCAN), a leader in the vaping products category whose head office has been in Quebec for over 100 years, last week filed its official submission which proposed changes to the draft regulations.

"We believe that a balanced approach is still possible," said Eric Gagnon, Vice-President of Legal and External Affairs at ITCAN. "Unfortunately, youth are finding ways to access vaping products. This is not in question and is a serious problem. However, we must find a solution that both protects youth while also offers adult consumers a range of less risky alternatives compared to cigarettes."

Vaping is not smoking. It is not a tobacco product. Despite all the evidence supporting vaping as a less harmful alternative to smoking, the Government of Quebec is considering regulatory measures that would significantly hinder the likelihood of adult consumers choosing a reduced-risk nicotine product. Instead, ITCAN encourages the Government of Quebec to recognize, as many countries around the world have done, that vaping is less harmful than smoking and to put in place a regulatory framework that reflect this reality.

"As a responsible company, we have made numerous efforts to limit youth access to our vaping products, from retailer education to multi touch-point age verification of our online sales outside of Quebec, where online vaping product sales are permitted. In fact, our age verification processes are more robust than those used by the government operated SQDC," says Gagnon.

ITCAN's key recommendations for a balanced approach to vaping regulations are as follows:

- Enforce the flavour regulations already imposed by the federal Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA), which bans confectionary flavours and flavours such as, desserts, soft drinks, energy drinks and cannabis.

- Should the regulations maintain their prohibition of flavours, allow at minimum a range of flavours, in addition to tobacco-flavored and unflavored vaping products, that will maximize the number of adult vapers and smokers that choose a less harmful alternative to smoking.

- Address youth access to vaping products by introducing severe penalties for anyone caught supplying/selling vaping products to minors.

- Develop education and awareness programs to ensure that adults do not buy or supply vaping products to minors.

- Implement mandatory training programs for all vaping and tobacco retailers to educate them and their staff on how to effectively prevent underage access to nicotine products.

- Implement an online sales framework for vaping products as already in place for the government operated SQDC and SAQ, including mandatory age verification requirements for online retailers.

"We hope that the Government of Quebec will re-evaluate its position and adopt a collaborative approach that includes all stakeholders, including health experts, the vaping industry and adult consumers, in order to find a solution that both protects youth and supports adults seeking a less harmful alternative to smoking," concluded Mr. Gagnon. "Many Quebecers have chosen to switch from smoking to vaping. The outcome of these regulations will have a direct impact on adults that have already chosen, or are seeking, a safer alternative to smoking."

Imperial Tobacco Canada is Canada's leading tobacco and vaping products company and is part of the world's most international tobacco group: BAT. BAT is a global multi-category consumer goods business, operating in over 180 markets. Our vision is to build A Better Tomorrowtm by reducing the health impact of our business through offering a greater choice of enjoyable and less risky products for our consumers.

Our strong foundations, together with our capacity for cutting-edge innovation, are a platform for us to build more sustainable products for our adult consumers, and a more sustainable business for our colleagues, shareholders, and communities.

SOURCE Imperial Tobacco Canada