Canadian doctors are concerned, sounding the alarm on the effects of vaping.
Health Canada is warning users of the popular e-cigarette and vaporizer producers to seek medical attention should they experience cough, shortness of breath and chest pain. Doctors in the United States report 530 vaping-related illnesses and at least 7 deaths.
“We do not need to wait for a death in Canada to warrant action,” said Terry Dean of the Canadian Lung Association.“The time to act is now.”
The press conference, held Thursday morning in Ottawa heard from leading medical experts; offering recommendations to Health Canada.
“There needs to be an immediate interim order to reduce youth vaping with measures on advertising, flavours and nicotine levels,” said Rob Cunningham, a senior policy analyst., who is also calling on a ban to flavoured products.
The country's leading health experts are asking the government for tighter regulation to start treating ads for vaping just like tobacco; arguing the products are marketed toward teens and young adults.
“While Canada has led the way when it comes to the marketing and packaging of tobacco, the same needs to be done for vaping,” said Dr. Sandy Buchman of the Canadian Medical Association.
“Tobacco companies are hooking today's kids on vaping products with the same tools they used to hook their parents and grandparents to cigarettes,” Cynthia Callard, Executive Director of the Physicians for a smoke-free Canada.
Citing mango and vanilla flavours as examples, children across Canada have been found using vaping products. Ottawa Police said they have recovered e-cigarettes from kids as young as 12.
“We don’t know how big the problem is,” cautioned Dean. “This thing has evolved very quickly over the last several months.” Dean added, “There's enough current evidence today to say this is not a safe product.”
Vaping products are marketed toward users as cheap, easy to use and easy to hide from parents and adults.Teens and young adults are vaping, according to experts, believing it is the safer alternative to cigarettes.
“I don’t think people will stop,” said student Natalie Pulido, “Maybe a little!”
“People do think that vaping is the healthier version of smoking when in fact it's not.”
Doctors warn of a health emergency the government needs to get a handle on.
“We cannot risk reversing the progress that has been made on tobacco control by addicting a new generation,” said Dean.
“While no clear link has been made between any specific type or brand of vaping product and the cases of severe pulmonary illness, the Government of Canada remains deeply concerned by the increase in vaping reported among Canadian youth. Health Canada has taken a number of steps in recent months to address the rise of vaping in Canada and, in particular, the risk that it poses to youth,” said Health Canada in a press release.
“Canadians are reminded that the purchase of vaping products outside the legal market may create additional risk as these products are unregulated and potentially unsafe, and thereby pose a risk to health and safety.”
