Smoking in Canada
The Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) reports a decline in overall daily and occasional smoking prevalence from 17.7% in 2015 to 16.2% in 2017. In 2017 across all age groups, smoking was found to be least common among youth aged 12 to 17 (3.5% prevalence). The CCHS covers the population 12 years of age and over living in the ten provinces and the three territories, with a sample size of 65,000. WHO figures for the general population differ, and show a reduction in overall smoking prevalence from 28% in 2000 to 14% in 2015, and a projection to decrease to 9% by 2025. The WHO published prevalence trend estimates in tobacco smoking, as shown here, in their 2018 2nd edition report, which show slightly different smoking prevalence to the WHO country profiles. Data for the estimates are not age standardised, and were obtained from WHO databases. The trend lines are projections, not predictions, of future attainment. A projection indicates a likely endpoint if the country maintains its tobacco control efforts at the same level that it has implemented them to date. Therefore the impact of recent interventions could alter the expected endpoint shown in the projection. While the methods of estimation used in the first and second editions of the WHO report are the same, the volume of data available for the second edition is larger i.e. 200 more national surveys. The results presented are therefore more robust than in the first edition.
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February 20, 2024 by tobaccoreporter.com
Northern Exposure
The nicotine market in North America is evolving, with vape and oral sales rising while traditional combustibles still dominate. Major tobacco companies are shifting toward next-gen products, impacting combustible sales. The U.S. nicotine market is forecasted to reach $107.5 billion by 2024, with e-cigarettes projected to generate $8.8 billion. Nicotine pouches are also growing, with the U.S. market expected to reach $11.03 billion by 2027. In Canada, the market is smaller but growing, with nicotine sales projected at $12.3 billion in 2024.
February 08, 2024 by ctvnews.ca
B.C. to remove nicotine pouches from convenience stores
Nicotine pouches, specifically the brand Zonnic, will no longer be available for purchase in convenience stores in British Columbia. Premier David Eby and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced that the pouches will now be sold behind the pharmacy counter to prevent minors from easily accessing the addictive product. The move is in response to concerns about youth using smoking cessation products recreationally and the attractive packaging of Zonnic.
February 08, 2024 by globalnews.ca
B.C. restricts sale of nicotine pouches
British Columbia is introducing new regulations to prevent the sale of “nicotine pouches” to children and youth across the province. The rules taking effect Wednesday will restrict all buccal nicotine pouch products to behind the counter at pharmacies. No prescription is required, but purchasers will need to speak to a pharmacist to get it.
February 08, 2024 by cbc.ca
B.C. restricts youth's access to nicotine pouch products
The B.C. government announced a provincial sales restriction for buccal nicotine pouch products, including those under the brand Zonnic. The new rules require these products to be kept behind pharmacy counters, in an effort to limit youth access. Purchasers will now have to consult with a pharmacist in order to buy these products. The provincial government hopes that these measures will help reduce the number of young people using such products.
January 16, 2024 by canberratimes.com.au
Vape inaction 'not an option' despite huge GP need
Packed GP waiting rooms might need to find space for hundreds of thousands more patients each year under an analysis of new vape rules. But as the number of e-cigarette users hits 1.3 million, one state minister says stemming the tide of an emerging health crisis is essential. Under a national crackdown introduced in January, access to e-cigarettes for therapeutic purposes requires a prescription from a medical or nurse practitioner.
December 01, 2023 by cbc.ca
'We were duped': Health minister vows to close 'loophole' on flavoured nicotine pouches
Canada's health minister says he'll act quickly to shut down a "loophole" after Health Canada approved the sale of flavoured nicotine pouches with no restrictions on how the product is advertised or sold. "There are very serious questions about what the tobacco industry is doing here and what their intention is. And it would seem that their intention is to addict new young people to nicotine, which is disgusting," Health Minister Mark Holland said Tuesday in response to questions from CBC News. "We want to shut down this loophole."
November 17, 2023 by regulatorwatch.com
Pushing Limit | Canadian Economist Troubled by Vape Taxes & Flavour Bans
With the province of Quebec now wholly joined with New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and the Northwest Territories in banning or restricting flavours in nicotine vaping products, hundreds of thousands of Canadians now have little or no access to a vital tool for tobacco harm reduction. Joining us today to discuss these troubling developments is Ian Irvine, professor of economics at the Department of Economics at Concordia University in Montreal. Is Canada now hostile territory for nicotine vapers? Find Out!
November 15, 2023 by globalnews.ca
What are nicotine pouches? Why health experts are sounding the alarm in Canada
The introduction of nicotine pouches to the Canadian market has raised concerns among health experts, who are urging prompt regulation due to the legal availability of these products to children. On Tuesday, a group of Canadian health organizations, including the Canadian Cancer Society, urged the federal government to restrict the availability of nicotine pouches, saying the product contains “a highly addictive drug.”
November 14, 2023 by thestar.com
Ontarians deserve a voice in deciding the future of the tobacco industry
Within the next few months, Premier Doug Ford will likely be asked to make a decision that will affect the health of Ontarians for decades. Canada’s largest tobacco companies are expected to offer the province a greater share of their future sales revenues to settle the province’s long-standing lawsuit against them. A thumbs up to this deal by Ford would keep these deadly products on the market indefinitely and position them favourably as tobacco manufacturers continue marketing their newer nicotine products that are addicting youth at an alarming rate across Canada.
November 02, 2023 by regulatorwatch.com
Flavour Ban Fever | Canadian Provinces Threaten Health Gains | RegWatch
According to a growing body of research on the impact of flavour bans, sales of combustible cigarettes are likely to grow while safer nicotine vaping products crater. Most alarmingly, where sales of flavoured nicotine products are restricted, teens tend to turn to smoking—destroying the very reason for implementing flavour bans in the first place. Joining today to discuss Canada’s flavour ban fever is Dr. Michael Pesko, the J. Rhoads Foster Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics at the University of Missouri.