REGULATIONS WITHOUT ENFORCEMENT DON'T WORK: MEDIA REPORTS SHOW THAT FLAVOURED VAPOUR PRODUCTS ARE STILL BEING SOLD AND CONSUMED ILLEGALLY IN QUEBEC

It is time for the Quebec government to address its failed policy

MONTREAL, QC, March 7, 2024 /CNW/ - Two investigative reports published yesterday in Le Soleil and Le Journal de Montréal demonstrated how the flavoured vapour products ban in Quebec has failed on several levels and is putting the health of Quebecers at risk.

"The most concerning area for us is the inconsistent enforcement of the regulations," said Eric Gagnon, Vice President, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Imperial Tobacco Canada. "Although 91 per cent of vape shops were found with flavour enhancers or other flavoured products, only one shop was deemed to be non-compliant with the law and forced to pay a fine. In addition, online sales are rampant. Anyone, including youth, can order flavoured vapour products and have them delivered to their door."

The poor development and implementation of the flavoured vapour products ban is just another example of the Government of Quebec implementing regulations without assessing effectiveness and impact, both of which are fundamental to ensuring that vapes are kept out of the hands of minors. Ignoring the importance of flavours for adult smokers that want to move away from cigarettes has caused the vape market to go back underground as it was before legalization in 2018.

Imperial Tobacco Canada warned the Government of Quebec that its ill-advised flavour ban would not achieve the stated objectives. It is now time for the Government and Minister Dubé to address the mess they created by implementing a policy to satisfy the demands of a few very vocal anti-tobacco lobby groups.

"The Coalition Québécoise pour le Contrôle du Tabac (CQCT), through its spokesperson Flory Doucas, was the most vocal group to suggest a flavour ban would protect Québec youth from vaping," said Mr. Gagnon. "Now that flavoured products continue to be on the market, we question why we haven't seen Ms. Doucas publicly pressuring the Government of Québec to enforce the law she lobbied so hard to have implemented."

Imperial Tobacco Canada recently met with the government of Québec and provided them with specific and detailed information about non-compliance that can be observed in many locations. We also shared a set of six recommendations, from short to long term, that would help enforce regulations and ultimately curb sales to minors.

About Imperial Tobacco Canada
Imperial Tobacco Canada is Canada's leading tobacco and vaping products company and is part of the world's most international tobacco group: BAT. BAT is a global multi-category consumer goods business, operating in over 180 markets. Our vision is to build A Better Tomorrow™ by reducing the health impact of our business through offering a greater choice of enjoyable and less risky products for our consumers.

SOURCE Imperial Tobacco Canada

For more information or interview requests, please contact: Laurence Sauvé, Torchia Communications, 514 984-4122, [e-mail]