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.

"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/

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.