New Brunswick Proposes New Barriers For Adult Smokers Trying to Reduce Risk

OTTAWA, May 20th, 2021 – Today, the New Brunswick Legislature passed Bill 17 – An Act to Amend the

Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Sales Act for second reading and referred the bill to the Standing Committee on Economic Policy. This legislation, if passed, will prohibit adult smokers from accessing flavoured reduced risk vaping products within the legal and highly regulated market.

This prohibition will result in close to 200 direct job loses in the province and the closure of dozens of small family-owned businesses. Moreover, VITA expects this legislation to have little to no impact on youth vaping rates, as minors are in most cases accessing vaping products through illicit websites and social sourcing. Thus, the only impact of this bill will be to ban flavoured vaping products for adult smokers, while leaving the door open for youth, despite bill 17, to continue to illegally access potentially harmful and unregulated vaping products over the internet.

“Vaping is a tool for adult smokers to reduce their risk by using products that are considered to be up to 95% less harmful than combustible cigarettes”, said Allan Rewak, Executive Director. “Flavours are a key part of the transition from cigarettes to vaping and banning them is simply going to make combustible tobacco more appealing for tens of thousands of smokers in the province. We believe the government has to take an aggressive and targeted approach against youth vaping, not create new barriers for adult smokers who are trying hard to reduce risk”, added Rewak.

For more information contact Allan Rewak (647) 206-1231

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