Recommendations: Will the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act go far enough?

E-cigarette use among adolescents and young adults in Canada is increasing. Potvin’s (2016) editorial outlined the need for more evidence on e-cigarettes as a gateway to combustible cigarettes and their toxicity. Since then, new evidence has emerged supporting the gateway effect and establishing toxicity. Health Canada has reviewed the evidence and recently opted to regulate e-cigarettes, including prohibiting brick-and-mortar retail access for youth under 18 years of age. However, many online e-cigarette retailers exist, which increases adolescents’ access to e-cigarettes and currently unregulated nicotine-containing refills. Recent evidence on the toxicity of particular compounds in e-cigarette refills has demonstrated how these compounds may be amplified by certain types of e-cigarette devices. The toxicity of e-cigarettes is not only of concern to the user but potentially a concern to the public as well. The message that e-cigarettes have a benign effect on users and the public needs to change and should be reflected in Health Canada’s future regulations concerning the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act.