The Coalition des droits des vapoteurs du Québec (CDVQ) is asking Legault’s government to focus on the health issues that concern Quebecers, and not to target flavoured vaping products during the next parliamentary session.
“Quebecers agree that Legault’s government must focus on the real problems of the province’s health system,” said CDVQ spokesperson Valérie Gallant. “The irony is that if provincial regulators accepted vaping as a tool, there would be public health benefits. We visited cities and towns in Ontario and Quebec to educate, empower and engage. The results are unanimous: let’s save our flavours.”
In a new survey by the CDVQ and Rights4Vapers, when asked to prioritize 10 different issues affecting the province’s healthcare system, one in three Quebec residents (33 per cent) ranked access to health services as their highest priority, compared to one per cent who ranked nicotine use by minors as their highest priority. One in three (34 per cent) ranked underage nicotine use as the lowest priority.
“Flavours are essential for adult smokers,” Gallant said. “It’s dissociating vaping from smoking. We want everyone to understand that flavours are fundamental to making vaping an effective tobacco harm reduction tool.”
Despite constant threats of flavour bans, nicotine restrictions and tax increases, as well as a persistent misinformation campaign, Canadian adults who are smoking aren’t getting discouraged in their fight to keep vaping products available, accessible and affordable from coast to coast.
“Our survey revealed that Quebecers consider vaping to be a significantly less harmful alternative to smoking,” said Maria Papaioannoy, spokesperson for Rights4Vapers, one of Canada’s vaping rights organizations. “The problem’s that we have governments, and other publicly funded organizations, that continue to put obstacles in the way, and spread inaccurate information about the harm reduction capacity of vaping.”
Opinions and attitudes of Quebecers toward vaping are supported by recent academic and scientific studies, which show that vaping is a less harmful alternative than smoking.
Public health authorities around the world have made it clear that vaping can be an effective tool in helping smokers quit. However, that’s if the right regulatory and societal frameworks are in place.
translated by Alec Brideau
