Take Action: Support Increased Measures to Reduce Youth Vaping in Manitoba

It’s no secret - young Manitobans are vaping at an alarming rate.

We know that Big Vape companies are hooking a new generation on nicotine through easy access, aggressive social media campaigns and tempting candy-like flavours. Many parents are concerned about these issues and want to know what to do about it.

You can download this letter to send to the Manitoba Government and let them know you support their actions to help protect youth in Manitoba. Show the government that you support specific vape-related taxes, increasing access to vape products to age 21 and banning all flavours of vape products except tobacco flavour.

Take action and show your government that you support stronger measures to protect young Manitobans.

To send via email, copy the text below and send it to Hon. Sarah Guillemard, Minister of Mental Health and Community Wellness at minMHCW@leg.gov.mb.ca.

Honourable Minister Guillemard,

(I/we am/are)‌ ‌writing‌ ‌to‌ ‌express‌ ‌support‌ ‌for‌ amending current ‌provincial vaping regulations ‌to‌ mitigate the risk to youth and young adults in Manitoba. These include:

An ‌increase to sales tax specifically on vape products

Increasing the minimum buying age to 21

A ban on all flavoured vape products except tobacco flavour

In early 2020, the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health (CCMOH) reiterated their significant concern in the substantial rise of nicotine vaping among Canadian youth, calling it a “rapidly emerging public health threat.”

In their statement, the CCMOH made several recommendations for provincial jurisdictions relating to vaping product regulations. Several provinces have already taken it upon themselves to make these changes, separate from the federal government.

Youth are typically more sensitive to cost due to their limited disposable income. Increasing sales tax on vape products will deter youth from purchasing vape products. Increasing the minimum purchase age in Manitoba to 21 will reduce opportunities that are available for youth to access these products.

There is ‌a‌ ‌strong‌ ‌link‌ ‌between‌ ‌the‌ ‌availability ‌of‌ ‌flavours‌ ‌and‌ the ‌use‌ ‌of‌ ‌vaping‌ ‌products by young Canadians. Flavoured‌ ‌vape‌ ‌products‌ ‌entice‌ ‌kids‌ ‌into‌ the use of ‌these addictive nicotine‌ products.

According to Health Canada, 90% of youth begin vaping with a flavoured vape product. This includes mint and menthol, as they have been shown to be some of the most commonly used among Canadian youth. In a recent survey‌ ‌almost‌ ‌half‌ ‌of‌ ‌youth‌ ‌who‌ ‌vape‌ ‌indicated ‌that‌ ‌they‌ ‌would‌ ‌stop‌ ‌vaping‌ ‌if‌ ‌flavours‌ ‌were‌ ‌removed.

These solutions to the youth vaping issue may sound familiar to you because they closely reflect the successful policies that have been used to reduce youth smoking.

The CCMOH recommendations of banning all vape flavours, making age 21 the minimum age to purchase vape products and regulating vaping products will ‌reduce‌ ‌youth‌ ‌vaping‌ rates ‌and‌ ‌protect‌ ‌public‌ ‌health. ‌The Provincial Government must ‌act ‌now ‌to ‌adopt these recommendations to ‌protect‌ young ‌Manitobans.

Regards,

[Your name]

References:

Al-Hamdani, Hopkins, and Davidson. “The 2020-2021 Youth and Young Adult Vaping Project.” Heart and Stroke Foundation, July 9, 2021.

Breathe the Lung Association. “The 2020-2021 Youth and Young Adult Vaping Project: Key Findings and Recommendations from the Prince Edward Island Data,” May 31, 2021.

Government of Canada. “Statement from the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health on Nicotine Vaping in Canada,” January 22, 2020.