From our friends at THRA Canada – you can connect with them at: info@thra.ca or on twitter at @thra_canadaTHRA
Tobacco Harm Reduction Association of Canada Inc. Response to – Smoke-Free Ontario Amendment Act (Vaping is not for Kids), 2022
THRA Canada is a federal not for profit consumer organization, staffed entirely by consumer volunteers who use THR (tobacco-harm reduction) products to become and remain smoke-free. Our organization is funded by members of its Board of Directors, none of whom have any ties to industry. Our mission is to inform and educate ex-smokers, nicotine vapers, smokers, soon to be vapers, and the general public at large on issues about the overall health benefits of switching to THR products for smokers who have difficulty quitting smoking. THRA Canada has no affiliation with the vaping industry, tobacco industry or pharmaceutical industry. THRA is a member of INNCO.org a registered NGO organization of consumer organizations in 35 countries, who voluntarily advocate for consumers of safer nicotine products.
THRA believes that the proposed amendments to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 does not acknowledge the scientific evidence of non combustible nicotine products, and in doing so if passed, will create not only an unregulated black market that will cause more harm to the public. Looking to another commonwealth member, New Zealand, we can see that a proportionate regulatory framework will assist Canada in reaching a reasonable and effective means to bring down the smoking rates, whilst protecting youth from access and initiation, allowing adults access to a full range of flavours and equipment through specialist vape shops and their websites. New Zealand has regulated safer nicotine products as a consumer product as they acknowledge that they are not tobacco products, and have implemented a registration framework for specialist vape shops and the products they sell that would work here in Canada. We implore you to look at the long term gains of proportionate regulation by adopting a similar regulatory framework to New Zealand. This may be reviewed at
The Directors of the Board, and its’ Advisors: Tobacco Harm Reduction Association of Canada Inc ®. February 2022.
