As Canada moves closer to implementing a ban on flavoured vaping products in an effort to deter youth from vaping, the discussion surrounding its potential impact is gaining momentum.
One local vape shop owner provided some insight on how this could affect not just her business, but her customers as well.
Joanne Trickey
Joanne Trickey, who has owned BMC Inc. for 15 years, is a local business owner and advocate for adult smokers. Trickey sees the proposed flavour ban as potentially disruptive to those who have turned to vaping as a way to quit smoking.
“I have helped so many people quit smoking and it makes me feel really, really good because after a week they come in and they tell me how good they have started feeling. After a month they come in and tell me ‘I can taste food again’.”
Trickey emphasized that flavours such as grape or cherry have been instrumental in helping some smokers take a step away from traditional cigarettes. She expressed concern that banning flavours might lead to people returning to cigarettes.
“I know there will be some people that will go back to smoking because smoking is readily available and people need their nicotine. Maybe a lot of people will quit entirely and that is awesome because that is what I am here for.”
Trickey noted that while flavours are often considered a contributing factor to teen interest in vaping, they may not be the primary reason teens start vaping, pointing to statistics at rights4vapers.com
“The main reason? Curiosity. And that was at twenty-nine percent when youth and young adults were interviewed.”
At the same time, Trickey stressed the importance of preventing minors from accessing vape products.
“There are over 1.9 million adult Canadian vapers, and we want regulations that ensure the safety, efficiency and availability of vaping supplies... We’re not against regulations. We welcome it... but banning flavours is the wrong way to go.”
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Charlie Siler
From the educational perspective, Charlie Siler, a guidance counsellor at Northlands Parkway Collegiate, shared some insight on the prevalence of vaping among high school students.
“I would say there’s a small population like similar to what we would have always had as a small smoking population... but certainly there is that small population is still there.”
From Siler’s perspective, there seems to be a social dynamic involved when it comes to youth and teens vaping.
“Sometimes they’re looking to fit in, and sometimes they’re drawn in. There's a little bit of peer pressure involved in that sometimes, depending on social circles.”
Siler shared that some of the reasons students might be driven to start vaping were using it as a coping mechanism, or as an outlet, though he acknowledged that there was no single factor.
Regarding flavoured e-cigarettes and vapes being banned, Siler said, “We want teens to be as healthy as they can be and to make good choices... If you’re doing things that are making [smoking] more appealing that are attracting or drawing more people in, then I think certainly putting restrictions on that and limiting that makes a lot of sense.”
Continuing the conversation
With some people asking for regulations without outright bans, and others in agreement with Canada’s proposed flavour ban, whether the strategy proves effective or is simply a step in the direction towards removing the appeal of vaping among youth remains to be seen.
To listen to the full interviews with Joanne Trickey and Charlie Siler, click below.