TVPA review fails to recognize information
can help adult smokers
TORONTO, June 19,
2024 /CNW/ - Health Canada's second legislative
review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA), released on
June 17, 2024, has left Canada's 3.8 million smokers behind by failing
to legalize access to accurate, scientific information about
nicotine products.
In its submission to Health Canada's review of the TVPA,
Rothmans, Benson and Hedges
presented tangible solutions to reduce Canadian smoking rates,
including providing scientific information about smoke-free
alternatives directly on tobacco products. This targeted education
would put information in the hands of the consumers who need it the
most and be a leading initiative in recognizing the potential of
harm reduction in reducing tobacco related illness.
The legislative review of the TVPA represented an opportunity
for Health Canada to implement serious harm reduction efforts, by
applying the lessons learned by countries like Sweden, which effectively became the first
smoke-free country in the world. Sweden is seeing the benefits of their
approach, and shows the powerful role that less harmful
alternatives can play in smoking harm reduction. Sweden's national data suggests daily smoking
prevalence has since fallen to 5.8 per cent as of 2022.
Health information is power, including for adult smokers looking
for smoke-free alternatives. Without changes to the TVPA, Canadian
law is currently preventing smokers from accessing vital
information on alternatives, including relative risks of smoke-free
products compared to cigarettes.
QUOTE
"Without changes to federal law, Canadian smokers continue to be
denied access to scientific information on smoke-free alternatives,
and relative risks of these products compared to cigarettes. Health
Canada's review of the TVPA was a
real opportunity for Canada to be
a world leader in embracing science-based harm reduction efforts
and smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes, which would lead to
better health outcomes for Canadians."
– Kory McDonald, Head, External
Affairs, Rothmans, Benson and
Hedges Inc.
To learn more about RBH, visit: https://www.rbhinc.ca/
About Rothmans, Benson &
Hedges Inc.
Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. (RBH), an affiliate of Philip
Morris International Inc., is one of Canada's leading tobacco and nicotine
companies and is working to deliver a smoke-free future. RBH is
committed to sustainability and creating a positive impact on
communities, the economy, and the environment. Currently, RBH
employs nearly 800 people across the country with its headquarters
in Toronto and a factory in Québec
City. Discover more about the company at https://www.rbhinc.ca/ and
stay updated on RBH's transformation by following Twitter and
LinkedIn.
SOURCE Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc.