The Canadian Vaping Association explores solutions to help Saskatchewan scale regulatory enforcement

Beamsville, ON, Dec. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Saskatchewan provincial auditor Tara Clemett, released her second report of the year, highlighting concerns around the enforcement of tobacco and vaping regulation. The report has found that the Ministry of Health does not sufficiently monitor the province’s youth test shopper program frequency and that violation notices are not being sent promptly to offenders.

The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) has been vocal about the need for greater enforcement both federally and provincially. Saskatchewan has strong regulation to protect youth from nicotine experimentation and as the province works to enhance enforcement, youth protections will be further strengthened.

“Saskatchewan introduced a vapour product tax in September with the stated purpose of funding enforcement and education. With tax collection now underway, the CVA believes the province will increase enforcement efforts in the coming months,” stated Darryl Tempest, Executive Director of the CVA.

“Increased enforcement is fully supported by the industry and the CVA is actively looking at ways that we can help the province uphold the law. One solution is a reporting channel to report individuals and businesses that are breaking the law. We’d like to see something like this implemented to allow industry and community involvement,” added Tempest.

As youth smoking and vaping rates continue to decline, it is clear that Saskatchewan’s regulation is working as intended to protect youth. The CVA is confident that enhancements to current enforcement protocols will be made, allowing the province to continue to protect youth, while ensuring adult access to harm reduction products.