Question Period Note: Smoking and Vaping in Canada

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KEY MESSAGES
• Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease and premature death in Canada.
• The Government of Canada is committed to help people quit smoking and keep vaping products out of the hands of kids.
• The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that tobacco companies, and not taxpayers, pay for the cost of federal public health investments in tobacco control.
IF PRESSED

Q1 : IF PRESSED ON COMMITTING TO CANADAS TOBACCO STRATEGY
A1 :
• Cigarette smoking continues to kill more than 46,000 people in Canada each year. Quitting smoking can be difficult but our government has resources to help
• People who smoke can learn more about the tools and supports that can help them quit on Health Canada’s website.
• The government will continue to implement its tobacco cost recovery framework, which will shift the federal costs associated with tobacco use from taxpayers to the tobacco industry.
Q2 : IF PRESSED ON YOUTH VAPING
A2 :
• Protecting the health and safety of youth is a top priority.
• Current regulations prohibit the promotion and advertising of vaping products anywhere they can be seen or heard by youth, set a maximum nicotine concentration for vaping products, and require manufacturers and importers to provide sales and ingredients information to Health Canada.
• We are seeing promising results. According to the most recent Canadian Health Survey of Children and Youth, Canada’s past 30-day youth vaping rate declined to 6% in 2024 from 13% in 2019. We will continue to take measures to protect youth.
Q3 : IF PRESSED ON THE ILLICIT MARKET
A3 :
· Illegal contraband tobacco and vaping products are an issue our government takes very seriously.
· Health Canada regularly conducts inspections where tobacco and vaping products are sold.
· Public Safety, Canada Border Service Agency and law enforcement are key partners and play an important role in preventing the import and sale of illicit products through policing and enforcement efforts.
Q4 : IF PRESSED ON INCREASING THE LEGISLATIVE REVIEW TIMELINE
A4 :
• Extending the review cycle to five years would allow sufficient time for comprehensive reviews of complex issues related to tobacco and vaping.
• It presents an opportunity to better measure and assess the impact of regulatory changes and consider the latest scientific evidence.
• This proposal in Budget 2025 supports a more effective and streamlined review process and facilitate broader and deeper participation in the review process.
Q5 : If pressed on VAPING FLAVOURS REGULATIONS
A5 :
• We remain committed to preventing youth vaping and have taken several steps to this end, including enhanced public education, and increasing compliance and enforcement of existing regulations.
• We are seeing promising results. Canada’s past 30-day youth vaping rate has declined to 6% in 2024 from 13% in 2019.

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KEY STATS
• According to 2024 data, approximately 11% of the population in Canada over the age of 18 smoked cigarettes over the last 30 days, while approximately 6% vaped nicotine. (Source: 2024 Canadian Community Health Survey)

• The most recent 2024 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (12-17 years old) reported significant declines in past 30-day vaping rates, which fell to 7% (from 13% in 2019). (Source: 2024 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth)

• Youth smoking rate continued to fall to historic lows, with 1.5% of youth surveyed in 2024 reporting past 30-day smoking (down from 2.1% in 2019). (Source: 2024 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth)