Dr. Chris Lalonde, a professor of psychology at the University of Victoria, is an advocate of tobacco harm reduction. He recently made the point, consistent with other arguments about tobacco control, that while rates of e-cigarette use among teens across North America have dropped dramatically, local authorities are still trying to enact regulations to reduce teen e-cigarette use. The rules have focused attention on adults who smoke, and the use of electronic aerosol products aimed at quitting smoking.
In a recent press release, the Canadian E-Cigarette Association (CVA) stressed that the Canadian government's recently proposed flavor ban would be unnecessary and counterproductive, given that local youth e-cigarette use is already declining.
Based on evidence from previous studies, tobacco harm reduction researchers and public health experts have long noted that most smokers tend to return to smoking in response to flavor bans and other stringent restrictions.
In fact, studies have shown that smoking rates are falling in most countries because of these electronic fogging products.
A new study by the Tobacco and e-cigarette Survey Group in Canada
The Canadian Tobacco and Vaping Survey (2020) found that youth e-cigarette use has declined since 2019, and that youth daily e-cigarette use is 4.7 percent, making the previously recommended flavor ban unnecessary.
In addition, a recent Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey showed that smoking rates among specific age groups of adolescents decreased by 40 percent between 2019 and 2020, from 13.3 percent to 8 percent. This figure is significant for Health Canada's goal of 5 per cent smoking ban by 2035, which has already been achieved among 15-19 year olds.