Analysis, submissions, commentary

2024

Analysis

Snapshot of provincial and federal regulations on vaping products. 
International restrictions on e-cigarette flavours
Update on litigation in Canada
Taxes on cigarettes in Canadian jurisdictions
Taxes on e-cigarettes in various jurisdictions
Average tobacco taxes paid by smokers in Canadian provinces
Tobacco tax revenues of Canadian governments 1990 to 2024 
Timeline of selected regulatory actions on electronic nicotine devices.
Use of tobacco industry products in Canada and Sweden.
Tobacco-related diseases and deaths. Canada and Sweden


Regulatory Submission

Response to the proposal for a Tobacco Cost Recovery Framework. October 1, 2024. Submission
Response to Notice of Intent on amendments to the Tobacco Reporting Regulations. May 1, 2024. Submission

Commentary

December 12: Groups condemn “betrayal of public health” as pro-industry settlement gets creditor approval
December 9: Antitobacco groups decry further delays in vape flavour restrictions
October 4: Tobacco Control Groups to Minister Saks: Ban Flavours Now or Resign
November 23: Albertans deserve a say in deciding the future of tobacco
November 20: Feds called on to vote against proposed tobacco settlement
November 6: The youth vaping crisis: Ottawa needs to clean up its mess
November 2: The tobacco settlement will cost Ottawa $5 billion in lost tax revenue (and much more in health impact)
October 24: The proposed tobacco settlement mandates continued cigarette sales for 20+ years
October 22: A closer look at the claims and payments in the proposed settlement
October 21: Health voices condemn the provincial tobacco settlements
October 17: Provinces, class actions and tobacco companies reach a deal.
October 4: Tobacco Control Groups to Minister Saks: Ban Flavours Now or Resign
September 5: Health Canada needs a new legislated purpose for tobacco
August 22: Canada’s Health Minister breaks new ground to regulate nicotine pouches
August 3: Health Canada’s Tobacco Cost Recovery Fee: no new money, but more administration
July 22: Fact checking the “Swedish Experience”
July 2: “Tobacco Free Generation” – the best next thing?
June 28: Provinces need to phase out the commercial tobacco industry, not profit from it
June 18: Health Canada’s Second Legislative review: a prescription for some small fixes, but no firm plan to make them.
June 9: Young Canadian vapers are as likely to report breathing problems as their smoker peers
June 3: World No Tobacco Day 2024: Ministers’ silence on e-cig flavour regulations raises concerns the policy has been scrapped
June 3: The new VUSE 8000 and what should be done about it
May 15: Phase out, not pay out
May 1: Budget Bill gives Minister new powers to address nicotine pouches (and other therapeutic products)
April 4: Public Use Micro File of the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drug Survey (CSTADS) is now available
April 1: Tobacco taxes go up today …. by 15 cents per package
March 31: Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health calls for better controls on tobacco and nicotine.
March 27: More countries move to ban flavours and disposable vapes
March 6: Stop Smoking medications authorized in Canada include 4 manufactured by tobacco-nicotine companies
February 27: Are e-cigarettes safer than regular cigarettes? 107 studies are compiled to provide a disturbing answer.
February 23: Cannabis, caffeine and chocolate — BAT’s expanding footprint in Canada
February 20: Health groups call on Federal government to deliver on its commitment to protect kids against nicotine addiction
February 8: Newly released JUUL documents show the company felt welcomed by Canadian and UK health regulators
February 3: Newly-posted information on Government of Canada web-sites.
January 15: Updated data sheets on tobacco taxes and cigarette consumption in Canada
January 11: Statistics Canada sheds light on income disparity in vaping. (There isn’t much)
January 3: How European governments are regulating nicotine pouches

2023

Analysis

Trends in overall nicotine use in Canada.
Nicotine Users in Canada 2013-2023
Taxes on heat-not-burn cigarettes in Canadian jurisdictions
Taxes on fine-cut tobacco in Canadian jurisdictions
Tobacco and Vaping Tax Measures

Regulatory submissions

Response to discussion paper on Legislative Review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act. November 2023. Submission

Commentary

December 28: Why prescription status is the best short-term option to manage nicotine pouches in Canada.
December 14: The World Health Organization’s Call to Action on E-cigarettes
December 13: Australia’s new tobacco law and what Canada can learn from it
November 28: The Hon. Mark Holland on Zonnic (And an update on developments elsewhere)
November 23: Updates on smoking behaviours from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2022
November 16: The urgent need for a new nicotine regulatory framework
November 14: Health Canada makes it legal for flavoured nicotine products from Imperial Tobacco to be sold to children
October 23: Trends in overall nicotine use in Canada.
October 31: This Hallowe’en, Quebec kids get better protection from candy-flavoured nicotine.
October 4: Heads up! A peek at new nicotine products on the horizon ….
September 30: Four and a half years of negotiations and no deal in sight
September 23: Majority of Canadians want provincial governments to use the current insolvency process to force Big Tobacco to phase out cigarette sales
September 11: Delays and missing details from the 4th wave of the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey.
September 20: Four and a half years of negotiating with Big Tobacco, but no deal in sight
September 7: Heart & Stroke takes its message to the streets: “Ban Vape Flavours”
August 31: ICYMI: Tobacco control developments in Canada – Summer 2023
August 17: Updated estimates of the costs of substance use in Canada (including tobacco)
August 1: Canada performs well, but has not yet reached podium status in WHO’s ranking of global tobacco control efforts
July 21: BAT shoehorns its nicotine pouches onto the Canadian market
July 18: “Will they?? Won’t they??” Health Canada and the ban on flavoured vapes
July 12: BAT doubles down on disposable vapes in Canada (while regulators in other countries push back).
July 6: Sweden’s Public Health Agency reports on the health effects of Vaping.
May 29: On this World No Tobacco Day, it’s time to call for a No-Tobacco Canada
May 26: Do restrictions on vaping flavours increase tobacco smoking? A systematic review says the evidence is not there.
May 23: Six take-aways from Canada’s student smoking survey
April 29: Sesh+: Another nicotine product hits convenience store shelves
April 26: Growing support in Europe for banning cigarette filters
April 18: The continuing divide on E-cigarettes for smoking cessation: Part 1 – research findings
April 13: Dutch health agency suggests ways to reduce the attractiveness and addictiveness of cigarettes (and e-cigarettes)
April 4: Norway sets a new path for tobacco control
March 12: Health Canada’s vaping flavour ban is still missing in action.
January 18: National Non Smoking Week through the rear-view mirror
January 2: The New Year and quitting smoking: what the data tell us.

2022

Analysis

Perspectives on managing tobacco waste. Report on a discussion (Summer 2022)
Tobacco tax revenues as a percentage of government revenues
Smoking and Vaping Behaviour of Canadians, Results from the Canadian Community Health Survey – Rapid Response 2020
Canadian public pension investments in tobacco companies
How Canadian governments have responded to recommendations of their Medical Officers of Health on vaping (2022)f
The health effects of vaping. An update – February 2022
Insights from the Canadian Community Health Survey on Smokers’ Quitting
Environmental Scan – March 2022

Regulatory Submissions

Response to draft Vaping Products Reporting Regulations. July 2022. Submission
Response to discussion paper on Legislative Review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act. April 2022. Submission
Response to proposed ban on single-use plastics (and the exclusion of cigarette filters on this list). March 2022. Letter 
Complaint to Health Canada. February 2022. Complaint regarding misleading advertising by Imperial Tobacco in its #CleartheSmoke campaign. Letter.
Response to draft Tobacco Products Regulations (Plain and Standardized Appearance). August 2022. Submission

Commentary

December 31: The New Year and quitting smoking: what the data tell us.
December 5: Tidbits from Health Canada’s new Smoker and Vaper Panels
November 28: A new global treaty on plastics — and why it is important for tobacco regulation
November 23: The updated Cochrane review of e-cigarettes — and what it should mean for Canada
November 17: An update on flavoured vaping liquids.
November 14: Doctors seek Federal Court Order to Force Health Canada to Comply with Tobacco Law
November 7: An update on tobacco sales and tax revenues in Canada
October 31: Recent reports on the North American vaping market
October 19: BAT’s disposable “VUSE GO” arrives in Canada.
October 7: With schools ‘back to normal’ what has happened to youth vaping rates in Canada?
August 30: BAT’s VUSE in Canada: more flavours and new nicotine strength bands
August 15: Update on e-liquid flavour restrictions
August 8: ICYMI: selected TC research published in July 2022
August 2: Updated advice to physicians on how to treat tobacco addiction.
July 26: Health Canada’s about-face on reporting requirements for the vaping industry is a bad sign for public health
July 8: VEEBA: In a surprise move, PMI launches disposable vapes in Canada
May 30: Five “don’t miss” resources for World No Tobacco Day.
May 20: This year, the average Canada Pension Plan contributor holds a $17 investment in tobacco stocks
May 9: BAT ‘shakes things up’ – adding haptics, tracking apps and more flagship stores to promote VUSE in Canada.
May 2: New survey results show no decrease (and some areas of increase) in tobacco use and vaping
May 4: Health Canada trims its tobacco control sails
April 27: New results from surveys on vaping and tobacco issues.
April 22: The First Four Years: The legislative review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act.
April 20: Finland and China break new ground on regulating the vaping market
April 8: How the new federal tax on vaping products will affect prices (and affordability)
April 7: A report commissioned by the Australian government reviews the evidence on the health outcomes of e-cigarettes.
March 27: Are e-cigarettes less harmful than cigarettes? By how much?
March 22: Mediation to settle lawsuits with big tobacco is extended to 42 months
March 22: Newly-released data shows quitting rates are stagnant — and most vapers are not reducing harm
March 22: Medicago, Philip Morris and Health Canada: A predictable and avoidable fiasco
March 12: Tobacco taxes and pricing: an update
March 9: Canadian views on acceptability and risks of use of alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes and cannabis
February 25: ‘Clear the Smoke’: Imperial Tobacco launches an illegal health-reassurance ad campaign
February 23: What investors are being told: slides from CAGNY presentations by BAT, PMI and Altria
February 21: 2022: A time to focus on tobacco and vaping waste.
February 14: Science has marched on: it’s time to update the advice to Canadians
February 3: Flavourings make e-cigarettes more harmful. That’s another good reason to end their use.
January 21: NNSW – Progress towards implementing the advice of Canada’s Chief Medical Officers of Health
January 17: The enforcement of Canada’s tobacco and vaping laws.

Newsletter

December 2022

2021

Analysis

E-cigarette and tobacco use. Insights from the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey. Wave 2: 2020
Impact of telephone or in-person survey of smoking behaviour in Canada.
Taxes on oral tobacco in Canadian jurisdictions
Reporting requirements for tobacco and vaping suppliers
Tobacco 21 laws and their impact on youth smoking and vaping
Canadian perspectives on reduced nicotine – report on a discussion (December 2021)
Cigarette prices in downtown Montreal 2017-2021
Tobacco use reduction targets in Canada
Environmental Scan – December 2021
Environmental scan – September 2021
Environmental scan – June 2021
Environmental scan – March 2021

Regulatory submissions

Recommendations to newly-appointed Minister and Associate Minister of Health. Letter to Ministers Duclos and Bennett with recommendations for priority tobacco control actions. November 2021. Letter to Ministers.
British Columbia should aim to end commercial tobacco sales. Submission to the Legislative Finance Committee during its pre-budget study. September 2021. Budget 2022: Protecting B.C.’s Economy and People from Tobacco.
Support for a tax on vaping liquids. Submission to Finance Canada. June 2021. Taxing Vaping Liquids. 
Restricting flavours (including menthol) in vaping products is an important measure to protect youth. By supplying vaping products only in a therapeutic context, different product restrictions could be contemplated. September 2021. Response to Health Canada’s proposed Order Amending Schedules to the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (Flavours)

Commentary

December 29: Year-end Quiz: Tobacco Control in 2021
December 16: Tobacco tax revenues are (almost) keeping pace with inflation, despite declining sales
December 6: Will flavour restrictions cause vapers to turn to cigarettes? A look at the evidence.
November 28: Targetting high prevalence populations.
November 14: Doctors’ group calls on new Health Ministers to revamp Canada’s Tobacco Control Strategy
November 8: Guess who’s behind Canada’s vapers’ protest movement?
November 2: Health Canada study following vapers over 2 years found no reduction in tobacco smoking.
November 1: New poll shows support for a course correction to Health Canada’s tobacco strategy
October 21: The pro-vaping assault on the World Health Organization
October 12: Recent events highlight contrasting regulatory approaches for market access: US FDA vs. Canada
October 4: Meta-analyses find vaping leads to smoking among young people and former smokers
September 20: Do telephone interviews undercount smokers?
September 5: What they did in their summer vacation
August 14: The vaping industry compliance deficit
July 14: Six Insights from the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey.
July 5: Lessons for tobacco control from climate-change action plans
June 18: Newly-announced vaping regulations are urgently needed — as are larger reforms of Canada’s approach to tobacco companies
June 17: Recent developments in the Canadian vaping market
June 8: Newly-released data provides more insight into smoking and vaping in Canada
May 31: Nunavut leads the way (again)
May 24: Conflicting tobacco control advice in post-Brexit Europe
May 17: Ian Irvine, the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World and the CD Howe Institute
May 10: Why does British Columbia lag behind when it comes to taking cigarettes out of pharmacies?
May 5: TAAT: Another challenge for tobacco regulators
May 4: Is there any public health benefit to menthol-flavoured vaping liquids?
April 30: Conclusions from the EU’s scientists and others on whether e-cigarettes help smokers quit
April 26: Tobacco control innovations in 3 other countries
April 21: Tobacco tax increases included in 3 (of 14) government budgets
April 12: Tobacco 21 – More evidence on the benefits of a higher minimum legal age
March 31: Lessons from the ‘Carbon Tax’ for Tobacco Control.
March 24: Insolvency court forces Canada’s tobacco companies to reveal financial information.
March 17: New survey results show a flattening of youth vaping rates
March 15: Report from WHO’s scientific panel on tobacco regulation draws fire before it is published
March 12: Big Tobacco and New Cannabis (and why we should care)
March 11: COVID-19 and smoking
March 10: BAT’s report on “Vapour in Canada” validates new provincial and federal regulations
March 1: The untapped resource of tobacco industry reports
February 22: Notes from recent tobacco industry investor reports
February 11: How Canadians compare
February 1: BAT targets Canadian vaping market with higher nicotine and more flavours
January 22: Three Years Later: The NASEM report on E-cigarettes
January 20: One year later: Weedless Wednesday Advice from the Chief Medical Officers of Health
January 16: 51,700 reasons for Canadians to observe National Non Smoking Week.
January 12: BAT’s new trademarks hint at new vaping promotions
January 4: A new year begins… and so do some tobacco-related measures



Newsletter

December 2021

2020

Analysis

Briefing Note: E-cigarette and tobacco use. Insights from the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey Wave 1: 2019
Tobacco Use. Insights from the Canadian Community Health Survey. Excel tables
Smoking behaviour in provinces (6 variables), by sex, 2000 to 2019
Smoking behavour in provinces (4 variables), by age and sex, 2000 to 2017-2018
Smoking behaviour and income, main source of income, food insecurity
Smoking behaviour and income quintile by sex, age and province (2017-2018).
Smoking behaviour and income quintile, historic tables (2005 – 2017-2018)
Demographic changes in smoking behaviour 2007-2008 to 2017-2018
Tobacco retailing – A scan of available regulatory approaches. March 2020.
The responsibilities and powers of Ontario municipalities to address tobacco use. March 2020.
Pass the salt. Why nicotine salts make vaping products more addictive. February 2020.
The economic benefits of reducing the prevalence of tobacco smoking in Quebec and Ontario (prepared by H Krueger)
Canadian public pension investments in tobacco companies.
Environmental scan – December 2020
Environmental scan – September 2020
Environmental scan – March 2020

Regulatory Submissions

Response to Health Canada’s proposed Concentration of Nicotine in Vaping Products Regulations.
Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance.
Response to British Columbia’s Intentions Paper. 
PSC comments on Health Canada’s proposed Vaping Promotion regulations 
Complaint to the Competition Bureau  February 2020. Complaint regarding misleading advertising by Imperial Tobacco in its #FactsnotFear campaign. Letter.
Complaint to the Quebec Office de la protection du consommateur regarding failure to include important information in communications about vaping products. June 2020. Complaint 
Complaint to the Quebec Office de la protection du consommateur regarding failure to include important information in communications about tobacco products. June 2020 Complaint. 

Commentary

December 15: Tobacco companies make an average of $2.50 per day from Canadian smokers
December 8: E-cigarettes and respiratory disease: from “no available evidence” to “significant concern”.
December 2: Canadian government revenues from tobacco taxes fell by more than 8% in 2019-2020.
November 24: Innovative proposals for regulating tobacco retail.
November 15: An update on evidence linking teen vaping to cigarette smoking
November 9: Which Canadian province is doing the best at reducing smoking?
October 23: Post-consumer tobacco waste — more harmful than plastic straws and stir sticks.
October 15: New longitudinal studies find little support for e-cigarettes as an effective tool for population-level smoking cessation
October 8: Another look at quitting rates: Insights from the Canadian Community Health Survey
October 6: Active and passive smoking increase the risk of breast cancer: Women need to be warned
September 30: The economic rewards for driving smoking rates down to 5% by 2035.
September 27: Smoking and Income: Insights from the Canadian Community Health Survey
September 16: Vaping stores launch another constitutional challenge to provincial regulations
August 21: Latest industry tobacco price increases underscore taxing problems
August 20: Prince Edward Island bans flavoured e-cigarettes – effective March 1, 2021.
July 30: Confusion and non-compliance: One month into new vaping regulations.
July 21: Will British Columbia be the world’s second jurisdiction to require plain packaging of e-cigarettes?
July 20: British Columbia’s new regulations will help protect children and adults from harmful nicotine marketing
July 16: Five large Canadian public pension plans have said “no” to tobacco investments.
July 8: Updated estimates of the burden of tobacco use
July 1: A Canada Day holiday – and the start date for several tobacco control regulations.
June 29: BAT exploits PRIDE to sell e-cigarettes.
June 25: Smoking rates have fallen — but maybe not for the reason you think.
June 17: 84% of Vape Stores fail Health Canada’s inspections
June 7: Insights from the recent Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey
May 25: Does vaping lead to smoking? Accumulating evidence of a gateway effect
May 19: Banning menthol and other flavourings in cigarettes
May 12: The PATH that leads to understanding the vaping epidemic
May 9: Nova Scotia and Ontario move to curb high-nicotine vaping products
May 4: New vaping promotions expose challenges to regulators.
April 27: Test your tobacco control knowledge!
April 22: Calculating the profits of tobacco companies in Canada
April 20: E-cigarette taxes: A global snapshot
April 7: Preliminary results of Canada’s first Randomized Clinical Trial for e-cigarettes as cessation device
April 2: In most of Canada heat-not-burn cigarettes are much cheaper than regular cigarette
April 1: Cigarette taxes went up across Canada today — by less than one-quarter of a cent per cigarette
March 23: Sales of combustible tobacco are falling in Canada — and in all sorts of other countries too.
March 18: BAT reboots and rebrands for “a better tomorrow”.
March 17: St. Patrick’s Day and Imperial Tobacco’s marketing tactics.
March 5: First government survey since e-cigarettes were legalized suggests it is kids, not adult smokers, who have been most affected.
March 4: Keeping track!
February 24: Getting rid of the e-cigarette additives which make it easier for kids to get hooked
February 20: Misinformation? Absolutely. That’s why we complained to the Competition Bureau
February 17: Using consumer protection laws to strengthen tobacco control
February 6: Are concerns about vaping driving people back to cigarettes? Investors are told “no”
January 29: The “heterogeneity” of the vaping market and why it can hinder regulation-making
January 22: Weedless Wednesday 2020: The future of tobacco in Canada is on the table. Literally.
January 20: Smokers tell Health Canada they like information on specific benefits of quitting, but have concerns about being encouraged to switch to vaping.
January 16: Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada pays tribute to Rob Cunningham
January 10: This week Israel became the first country to implement plain packaging of e-cigarettes.
January 6: Another new year, another round of tobacco manufacturers’ price increases.
January 1: Yet more federal government opinion research on vaping


Newsletter

December 2020

2019

Analysis

Tobacco and causes of death in Canada – update from Global Change Data Lab. September 2019.
Cigarette pricing 1 year after new restrictions on tobacco industry retailer programmes in Quebec, Canada (Tobacco Control)
Tobacco retail density in British Columbia. October 2019. 
Cigarette prices in downtown Montreal, 2017-2019
Cigarette pricing in OECD countries. August 2019. 
The health effects of vaping. November 2019. 
Popelyne glycole and vegetable glycerin. Old and new evidence that these chemicals are not safe to inhale.  

Regulatory submissions

Complaint to Health Canada May 2019. Complaint regarding infractions of the TVPA by Imperial Tobacco and other vaping companies. Complaint.
Response to Health Canada’s proposed Vaping Products Labelling and Packaging Regulations.
Response to Notice of Intent to Regulate Vaping Product Advertising.
Protecting Canadians from Cheap Cigarettes February 2019.  PSC and the Quebec Coalition call for budgetary measures to address tobacco use. Letter to federal Minister of FinanceBriefing Paper. 

Commentary

December 23: Newly-released Health Canada research provides insight into young vapers
December 19: Response to Health Canada’s proposals to protect children from vaping promotions
December 15: Canadian government revenues from tobacco taxes: an update
December 12: What research tells us about young people and e-cigarette flavours
December 2: The FDA’s ground rules for IQOS may have lessons for Canada
November 25: Big tobacco funds and controls the new Vaping Industry Trade Association (VITA)
November 21: Health Canada consumer research on vapers’ attitudes to flavours
November 17: How cheap will vaping products get before we see price as part of the youth vaping problem?
November 11: ICYMI: How e-cigarettes can break your heart
November 5: Yet another novel nicotine product on the Canadian horizon: tobacco-less oral tobacco
November 1: How much has vaping reduced cigarette sales? Not much, says Altria to its investors
October 30: Finland’s strong controls on e-cigarettes include a ban on flavours.
October 28: “The JUUL design seems like a play out of the tobacco industry’s playbook” –
October 25: Alberta budget: “The government intends to implement a tax on vaping products.”
October 23: Job not done! Half a million Canadian workers are still exposed to second hand smoke on the job.
October 21: Do e-cigarettes beat NRT as cessation aids? A key study provides two opposing results – yet only one was reported.
October 17: There ain’t no flies on us: BAT-Imperial Tobacco reassures vapers that their products aren’t to blame
October 15: Public Health leaders strengthen their call for action on vaping
October 14: Everything old is new again: Tobacco companies set up a lobbying arm to fight vaping regulations.
October 8: Where ‘leap frog’ on vaping laws is needed, Yukon plays a slow game of ‘catch up’.
September 17: One week into the Canadian election, JUUL launches a political action campaign.
September 4: Why so anodyne? Canadians need strong, effective and truthful warnings on vaping packages
September 1: ICYMI: Health Canada releases a trove of research reports on vaping and smoking
August 21: Are we prepared for an e-cigarette price war?
August 13: Monetizing peer pressure: JUUL joins in.
August 8: Imperial Tobacco is encouraging you to pimp your vape
August 8: Visualizing the gains since 2000
July 31: Big Data for Big Nicotine – Insights from the trademark registration for the JUUL C1
July 30: Vive la France! Vive la France mobilisée!
July 4: Cheaper. Higher nicotine. BAT’s strategy for the Canadian vaping market
May 16: It’s time for Health Canada to clamp down on vaping ads
May 6: The first one is free…. Imperial Tobacco gives away its addictive Vype product
March 15: BAT research on vaping suggests that for every ‘switcher’ there is a new user.
March 11: JTI-Macdonald’s promotional budget is a whopping $100 million per year – 25% of its earnings from cigarette sales.
February 27: Is Health Canada really going to let Imperial Tobacco off the hook for its illegal vaping ads?
February 7: Imperial Tobacco slips through cracks in federal vaping ad restrictions. Provincial governments (especially Quebec) do better.


Newsletter

December 2019

2017

Analysis

Cheap cigarettes: Tobacco companies have manipulated  retail pricing to blunt the impact of tax increases. A rationale for standardized pricing and other reforms is presented. (2017)
Canada’s Cheap Cigarettes: Why they are a problem, and what can be done about them Tobacco companies have manipulated  retail pricing to blunt the impact of tax increases. A rationale for standardized pricing and other reforms is presented. (2017)

Regulatory Submissions

Call for powerful renewal to the federal tobacco control strategy April 2017.  Response to questions identified in Health Canada Document “Seizing the Opportunity: The Future of Tobacco Control in Canada.” Submission on strategy renewal.
Concerns about commercialization of vaping products. April 2017. PSC urges Senate to amend Bill S-5 (the proposed Tobacco and Vaping Products Act) to a) protect young people from ads for vaping products on mass media and 2) to implement a phase-out of conventional cigarettes. S-5-submission to Senate;   S-5 submission to House of Commons

Commentary

December 4: Imperial Tobacco’s new hockey (and other) promotions.
November 13: Getting the smoke out of cigarettes
November 2: OMG! BAT’s plans for Next Generation Products
October: Menthol cigarettes ban reaches across Canada
September 18: And now a word from our sponsor….
September 14  Canadian health groups respond to Philip Morris International’s $1 Billion Research Fund.
August 4: Trying to put a glow on i-Glo.
August  PSC and the Quebec Coalition on Tobacco Control call for an end to the low-tobacco tax policy and the regulation of cigarette pricing.
July 11  PSC calls on Minister Philpott to respond to inadequate warnings on new heat-not-burn products
June 28: BAT predicts 53 million vapers outside the USA within 3 years
May 25: Not exactly swords to ploughshares. Marijuana plant opens in former tobacco factory
March 27: Shell games with tobacco taxes
March 23: 1.45 million smokers are still missing
March 21: Tobacco retailing in France
March 15: Forecasts for transparency in tobacco lobbying
March 10: How well do smoking cessation programs work?
February 20: France leads the way with four (and counting!) innovative tobacco control measures in 2017
January 6: How many Canadians smoke pot ? Depends on who is asking

Newsletter

December 2017

2015

Analysis

Tobacco Use 2000-2014. Insights from the Canadian Community Health Survey. Excel Tables 2000 to 2013-2014

B1-Basic-AgeandsexB1-Basic-AgeandSex-Waterfall 
B2- Changing Demographic-AgePyramid
B2-ChangingDemographics-Generationalcohort B, 
B3-Gender
C-Province-RecentQuits 
C1-Starting-FirstCigarette,  
C1-Starting-daily
C2-Quitting
C3-Occasional
C4-HealthStatus
D1-education
D1-school,  
D2-incomequintile
D2-foodinsecurity,  
D3-occupationalgroups,  
D3-workstatus, 
D4-Immigration
D5-VisibleMinority-income-origin
D5-Visibleminority
D5-VisibleMinority-Province
E1-maritalstatus
E1-Livingarrangements,  
E1-languageathome
E1-Homeownership
F1-secondhandsmoke
G-Province, G1-Peergroup
H1-cannabis-abuse
H1-cannabis-use,  
H2-mentaldisorder
H2-depresionandanxiety

Regulatory Submissions

Notional legislation to achieve phase-out in Canada#1: Tobacco Reduction Targets Act 
Response to Canada’s proposed ban on menthol and flavours.

Commentary

November 26: Important Progress in France and Quebec
October 18: E-Cigarettes: BAT seeks to infuence a federally abandoned regulatory field
October 13: Election 2015: The Party Platforms on Tobacco
August 7: Banning menthol: the Canadian firsts.
June 25: Canadian Coalition for Action on Tobacco urges Health Minister Rona Ambrose to ban menthol in cigarettes.
May 29:  On World No Tobacco Day, Canadian health groups call for a modernized and strengthened federal approach to reducing smoking.
May 12: Canada chooses health over trademark rights
May 6: A Tale of Two Surveys
May 3: Tobacco industry profits in Canada exceed $1 billion: PMI
March 12:  PSC urges BC government to strengthen its tobacco control policies. (Open letter).
January 19: PSC urges government to replace e-cigarette black market with one directed at health goals

Newsletter


December 2015

2014

Analysis

A provincial desposit-return program for cigarettes.
Reports on tobacco trials

Regulatory submissions

October 2014. Response to Notice of proposed order to amend the schedule to the Tobacco Act.
October 2014. An Appropriate Response to E-cigarettes. Submission to House of Commons Committee on Bill S-5

Commentary

January 6, 2014 We are concerned that Vancouver’s cigarette recycling program, while well-intentioned, is a step in the wrong direction.

Newsletter

December 2014

2012

Analysis

Supply-side options for an endgame for the tobacco industry 
Reports on tobacco trials

Commentary

August 16, 2012 Australia court ruling on plain packaging shows the benefit of standing up to tobacco industry bullying
February 22, 2012 PSC congratulates the City of Ottawa for making patios, parks, beaches an municipal grounds smoke-free.
February 1, 2012. PSC congratulates Health Canada’s seizure of illegal flavoured tobacco products.
January 17, 2012. On National Non Smoking Week, PSC joins a cross Canada call for federal action against the sale of tobacco products that are sold in youth-friendly candy flavours and without warnings.

Newsletter

December 2012

2011

Analysis

Exploring vector space: overcoming resistance to direct control of the tobacco industry 

Regulatory Submission

Response to consultation on renewal of federal tobacco control strategy.
Commentary on Product Labelling Regulations (Cigarettes and Little Cigars).
Commentary on Promotion of Tobacco Products and Accessories Regulations (prohibited terms)

Commentary

October 20, 2011  PSC calls to protect pension funds from being invested in tobacco stocks.
September 6, 2011 PSC calls for greater control on cigarette additives.
April 7, 2011 Canadian health groups today praised Australia for plain packaging legislation.
March 8, 2011 PSC welcomes private member’s bill.
February 18, 2011 PSC welcomes Ottawa’s move to enlarge tobacco warnings and curb tobacco package marketing
January 19, 2011  Survey results show that school-aged Canadians are more likely to smoke brand-name cigarettes than contraband.
January 17, 2011  PSC recommends a review of public and private investment policies that permit these investments.

Newsletter

December 2011

2025

Short Description

2010

Analysis

Tobacco Vector: How American movies, Canadian film subsidies and provincial rating practices will kill 43,000 Canadian teens alive today — and what Canadian governments can do about it.
Tobacco Free Pharmacies Reasons why all provinces should ban pharmacy sales in provinces, and information on the majority that do.
Legal analysis of Philip Morris’ claim against Uruguay’s tobacco packaging laws. 
Follow the money: How the billions of dollars that flow from smokers in poor nations to companies in rich nations greatly exceed funding for global tobacco control and what might be done about it  
Estimating the volume of contraband sales of tobacco in Canada
FCTC Monitoring Report – 2010 November 2010. Canada’s Implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Shadow Report.

Commentary

December 30, 2010 PSC welcomes announcement of forthcoming new regulations on cigarette labelling.
November 10, 2010 The Global Tobacco Control Forum releases its ‘shadow report’ on Canada’s implementation of the FCTC.
August 19, 2010 PSC releases a report on smoking in movies.
August 12, 2010 PSC and Centro de Investigacion para la epidemia de tabaquismo release a legal analysis of  Uruguay’s new tobacco packaging law.
May 31, 2010 Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada calls for strengthened tobacco reduction campaigns.
May 28, 2010 PSC calls for mandatory public pension plans to stop funding multinational tobacco companies.
May 26, 2010 PSC calls on British Columbia and Manitoba to ban the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies.
May 25, 2010 PSC calls for for Canada-wide ban on smoking on restaurant patios and other hospitality venues.
April 29, 2010 PSC and the Non-Smokers’ Rights Association call for Canada to follow Australia and plan for plain packaging.
April 12, 2010 Gates Foundation pulls funding from Canadian government development agency over concerns about conflict of interest.
February 16, 2010 Federal government continues to subsidize tobacco farming after spending $300 million to phase it out.  Physicians group is looking for answers from Minister Gerry Ritz.

Newsletter

December 2010

2009

Analysis

A Moratorium on new tobacco products.  How public health can benefit from a change in the style of regulations.
Performance based regulations. Tobacco companies use new products as a way to overcome public health laws. A moratorium on new tobacco products can better protect health. 
The Global Tobacco Economy:  A snapshot of the economies of multinational tobacco companies and of international tobacco control efforts in 2008 (2009).
History of tobacco control in Canada
Tobacco is still being grown in Ontario. How the $300 million federal buyout failed to curb tobacco growing.

Commentary

September 29, 2009 PSC  calls for clear health goals to be included in litigation strategies.
September 17,2009 Canada’s major health organizations are calling on the Senate of Canada to give priority to the passage of Bill C-32.
June 17, 2009 The Canadian Senate should speed up its passage of bill C-32.
May 26, 2009 PSC applauds legislation to end the sale of candy-flavoured cigarillos.
April 24, 2009.  Women deserve to be warned! PSC urges Health Canada to move quickly to put breast cancer warning on cigarette packages.
April 3, 2009.  Canada urged to follow Norway’s lead and stop investing pension funds in tobacco.
January 15, 2009.  A call on 3 provincial governments in western Canada to ban tobacco sales in pharmacies.
January 14, 2009 The Canadian Medical Association and Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada reminded Prime Minister Harper of promise to crack down on the marketing of flavoured tobacco products

Newsletter

November 2009

2008

Analysis

A Menu of Supply Side Approaches to Reduce Tobacco use. 
The plot against plain packing. 
The Snus Experience. Lessons from Norway, Sweden and Canada on the public health consequences of widespread oral tobacco use.
Recent trends in tobacco agriculture in Canada. 

Regulatory submission

Response to proposals to address flavoured little cigars.

Commentary

December 15, 2008 A Health Groups Call on Prime Minister to Curb Tobacco Marketing
December 10, 2008  PSC welcomed the announcement by B.C. MLA, Adrian Dix of private member’s bill to end marketing of kid-friendly tobacco products.
December 5, 2008  Ontario Bans Flavoured Cigarillos
November 7, 2008 Canada falls short of its tobacco treaty commitments, reports the Global Tobacco Control Forum.
November 3, 2008  Nunavut-style leadership needed on First Nations tobacco issues.
September 17, 2008  Health Groups Welcome Measures to Protect Children from Tobacco Marketing.
September 10, 2008. PSC calls on Auditor General to investigate bad deal with big tobacco.
August 30, 2008. Many brands of cigarettes have failed ‘fire-safe’ tests.
July 31, 2008.  Physicians plea for better approach than corporate plea bargain.
July 29, 2008  Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada responds to government proposals to end the single sale of cigarillos.
July 24, 2008   Flavour…Gone! a youth-led campaign for changes to the federal Tobacco Act.
June 16, 2008  Canadian Coalition for Action on Tobacco welcomes proposed legislation to curb the marketing of novelty tobacco products.
April 9, 2008  PSC points to new consumer protection legislation as an example of stronger measures that are needed for tobacco.
March 5, 2008  PSC applauds Quebec government proposed regulation on tobacco advertising — and wonders why more isn’t being done by other levels of government.

Newsletter

November 2008

2007

Analysis

Towards effective tobacco control in First Nations and Inuit communities.  
Trolling for Big Fish: 10 Lessons from Canada on tobacco product regulation.
Cigarillo use in Canada 2007. 
Lessons for Canada from the U.S. Master Settlement Agreement 
FCTC Shadow Report (Report on Canada’s Progress towards Implementing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control)

Commentary

February 19, 2007  Canadian kids are as likely to be trying cigarillos as cigarettes.
December 03, 2007  Japan Tobacco promotes a cigarette with ‘less smell’.
November 22, 2007  Doctors group says its time to close cigarillo-friendly loopholes in tobacco laws.
October 29, 2007  PSC outlines the benefits of including first nations in the global treaty process.
August 21, 2007  PSC welcomes the announcement of a new goal for reducing smoking: 12% prevalence by 2011.
August 2, 2007  Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada renews call for government action against the growing problem of contraband tobacco sales.
July 31, 2007  PSC calls for tougher measures to end sale of light and mild cigarettes
June 28, 2007  PSC welcomes Minister Clement’s commitment to monitor and respond to tobacco industry marketing.
June 27, 2007  Smoking Ban in Federal Prisons a healthy step forward.
June 25, 2007  PSC calls for new legislation on tobacco advertising .
April 11, 2007  Tobacco industry sponsorship mars Quebec business award.
March 6, 2007  Physician group welcomes British Columbia legislation.
February 19, 2007  PSC praises British Columbia for its continued legal leadership against tobacco companies.
February 16, 2007  PSC makes available tobacco industry, government and intervenor arguments for  Supreme Court hearing.
February 2, 2007  PSC calls on big banks to stop helping criminals sell contraband cigarettes
January 24, 2007  PSC releases of a film about the life and campaign of Heather Crowe.


Newsletter

November 2007

2006

Commentary

December 18, 2006  PSC proposes methods to reduce tobacco smuggling.
November 09, 2006  PSC sees Competition Bureau deal on light cigarettes as a public health loss masquerading as a victory.
October 18, 2006  Physicians call for urgent action against cigarette smuggling.
June 27, 2006  Minister of Labour urged to provide legislated protection from second-hand smoke –
May 18, 2006  Motion for a Smoke-Free Canada.  PSC’s President calls on lawmakers to support Senators’ motion by passing laws to provide 100% legal protection from second-hand smoke in workplaces and public places.
March 10, 2006  What Wendy Mesley Didn’t Tell Canadians.
May 3, 2006  PSC’s Alberta director calls for Alberta’s drug strategy to address tobacco use as a gateway drug for illicit drugs like methamphetamine (“crystal meth”).
Ottawa, February 21, 2006  Heather Crowe’s condition worsens.

Newsletter

November 2006

2005

Analysis

Transforming the tobacco market: why the supply of cigarettes should be transferred from for-profit corporations to non-profit enterprises with a public health mandate (2005)
Curing the Addiction to Profits: A Supply-Side Approach to Phasing Out Tobacco

Commentary

December 12, 2005   On the tenth anniversary of the federal recommendation to completely ban tobacco advertising, health agencies are calling on the government to finally implement this measure.
November 2, 2005  Physicians file complaint with Alberta College of Pharmacists over tobacco sales in pharmacies.
October 21, 2005   Imperial Tobacco’s closure of tobacco plants is an opportunity to say “good buy” . Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada (PSC) today called on the government to stop the “rape and run” tactics of tobacco business corporations by buying tobacco companies outright and seeing that they are run in the public interest to phase out tobacco completely by 2030.
October 20, 2005  Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada (PSC) today called on the federal government to refer the question of a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising to the Supreme Court of Canada.
August 16, 2005    Heather Crowe readmitted to hospital.
July 26, 2005  The magic formula for selling cigarettes—make it easier to control the nicotine dose.
June 20, 2005  Take the business of supplying cigarettes out of their hands and put it into the hands of public organizations with a clear public health mandate. This is the main recommendation of a new study published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and prepared by Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada.
June 20, 2005  In the 1990’s two Toronto television stations sold parts of their news broadcasts as thinly disguised tobacco promotions to a tobacco company.  If a tobacco company can buy the news, who else can buy the news? PSC makes public previously secret contracts between Rothman’s, Benson and Hedges and its media partners, City-TV and CFTO-TV.
June 16, 2005  PSC makes public its letter to Health Minister urging that medical marijuana is “smokeless”.
June 15, 2005  Cigarettes sold in Canada as of October 1st will be less likely to cause fires. The Non-Smoker’s Rights Association and Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada congratulate Canada’s Minister of Health, Ujjal Dosanjh, for ensuring that all cigarettes sold in Canada after October 1st 2005 meet the Cigarette Ignition Propensity Regulations published last Monday, the 13th of June. The new regulations will make cigarettes less likely to start fires, by making cigarettes that are left unattended either generate less heat or extinguish themselves. Between 1995 and 1999, unattended cigarettes caused fires that killed a total of 356 people and injured 1615 more.
May 31, 2005  A World No Tobacco Day Message from Canada’s Health Professionals.  Leading Canadian health agencies are calling on the federal government to articulate how Canada will continue to help developing countries protect their citizens from tobacco industry products.  This call comes on the first World No Tobacco Day since the international Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (the FCTC) came into force,
May 17, 2005  Physicians applaud new initiatives to strengthen tobacco control in Newfoundland, Quebec and Ontario.  When implemented, these new measures will dramatically increase the number of Canadians living in smoke-free jurisdictions to 75% within one year.
April 27, 2005 The $100 million election goodie that kills people. Doctors condemn back-door taxpayers’ subsidy to continued tobacco growing and propose a better idea for helping tobacco farmers exit the tobacco growing business.
February 27, 2005  The Alberta government now has an increased obligation to protect the public from second hand smoke, says a national group of Canadian physicians.
February 25, 2005  Landmark Tobacco Treaty Takes Effect on February 27th –
January 17, 2005  – Tobacco company payments to retailers for cigarette promotions increase by 50%.


Newsletter

December 2005

2004

Analysis

Presence of tobacco advertising in Canadian retail stores (1996-2003)

Commentary

December 15, 2004 Ontario measures weaker than needed.
December 14, 2004 – Parliament and Health Canada work together to protect lives.  
November 30, 2004  “Forty reasons to cheer.  Five million reasons to mourn.” Doctors applaud 40th ratification of global tobacco treaty .
November 4, 2004  R-A-T-I-F-Y.  Kingston students spell-out need for Canada to ratify the new global tobacco treaty
October 25, 2004  PSC hopes that Canadian courts will certify a class action suit and hold tobacco companies accountable for the harmful marketing of cigarettes as ‘light’ or ‘mild.’
September 7, 2004  Mourning the death of Joe Battaglia.
August 26, 2004  Students blow smoke on campus tobacco marketing. 
August 24, 2004  Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada today released its correspondence to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Imperial Tobacco
July 22, 2004  Tobacco Treaty Deserves Urgent Attention of new Foreign Minister.
July 20, 2004  Appointment of Ujjal Dosanjh as Health Minister could mean stronger federal action against tobacco.
May 31, 2004. PSC asks provincial ministers of health to clear the way for Canada’s ratification of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
April 6, 2004  Canadian health groups today called on the Prime Minister to give priority to tobacco control program.
March 31, 2004  Doctors ask Bob Speller to fairly compensate tobacco farmers and phase out tobacco growing in Canada by 2010.  Press Release  Letter to Minister Speller
March 31, 2004  Fire-safe cigarettes will be required in Canada by year’s end.  
March 8, 2004  Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada welcomes suggestions that Imperial Tobacco will end subsidies to Canadian tobacco farmers.  Press release
March 2, 2004  Heather Crowe congratulates Manitoba for introducing legislation to protect workers and the public from second-hand smoke.
January 26, 2004 –  Ottawa – Health Canada’s deputy minister should withdraw from the board of the Public Policy Forum after that agency appoints Jodi Whtie, a former senior manager of IMASCO as its president, suggests PSC. 
January 21, 2004 – Weedless Wednesday  Press release  Heather Crowe’s January 15, 2004 letter to Labour Ministers
January 14, 2004  CCAT tax brief – “A Win-WIn: Enhancing Public Health and Public Revenue”
January 2, 2004  New York regulators require fire-safe cigarettes and New Zealand researchers show how easily it can be done.  

Newsletter

June 2004
November 2004

2003

Commentary

December 10, 2003  Heather Crowe asks to meet Premier Ralph Klein to urge him to make all Alberta workplaces smoke-free. Press release
December 1, 2003  Happy Birthday?  Two years after indication that ‘light’ and ‘mild’ would be banned, not much has happened.  PSC calls on government to explain.  Press release
November 27, 2003  Tobacco companies use bully tactics to silence health groups.  PSC calls their bluff.  News release and related documents
November 11, 2003  Canada should ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control – and set high standards for its implementation.  Press releasedraft legislation and backgrounder.
October 3, 2003  “The Ball Is In Your Court”  Doctors call to restore Saskatchewan’s ban on retail displays of cigarettes
August 14, 2003  Press release.  PSC thanks Prime Minister for resisting pressure to exempt Formula 1 racing from restrictions on tobacco promotions
July 14, 2003  News-release.  Canada’s Help Needed to Stem Global Tobacco Pandemic.  
June 26, 2003  News-release. Government spends more in tax expenditures for cigarette promotions than it does on anti-tobacco initiatives
June 13, 2003  Doctors welcome proposed changes to Canada’s Criminal Law. 
May 20th, 2003  Heather Crowe pays tribute to Barbara Tarbox.
March 24, 2003  PSC says $10 billion court judgment one more reason to ban ‘light’ cigarette labels.
February 28, 2003  Canadian health groups welcome text for global tobacco treaty.
January 22, 2003  Health Minister Challenged to Follow Through on Big Ticket Tobacco Control Measures.

Newsletter

November 2003

2000 and earlier

Analysis

Advertising Expenditures in Canada 1987-2000.
A Guide to Tobacco-Free Mutual Funds. 1998

Commentary

October 2, 2001.  B.C. citizens support smoke-free regulations.   Press Release and Poll results (by party and by region).
September 10, 2001. PSC uncovers tobacco industry documents showing that smokers don’t stop frequenting bars and restaurants after a smoking ban.  Press release.
August 13, 2001. 1.4 million Canadian smokers are deceived by light and mild descriptors on cigarettes.  Fact sheet and backgrounder
June 27, 2001. Ottawa’s smoke-free by-laws are valid.  Press Release.
June 6, 2001.  PSC releases report on “Elastic” cigarettes.  Press Release, Research Paper and Table of Results.
June 5, 2001. PSC praises Joe Battaglia for taking on Big Tobacco.  Press Release
May 25, 2001.  PSC releases a letter to Members of Parliament regarding S-15 (the Tobacco Youth Protection), drawing attention to two significant flaws in the legislation that may not be amendable in the House of Commons.
May 23, 2001.  PSC releases analysis of how trade agreements can threaten tobacco control measures.  An Introduction to International Trade Agreements and their impact on Public Measures to Reduce Tobacco Use, can be downloaded in pdf format (360k, with optional cover, 127k), or ordered by contacting PSC.  See also Press Release.
April 5, 2001.  Government announces tax increases and program funding increases — PSC responds with applause.
March 6, 2001.  The proposed hand-out to tobacco farmers: Bad health policy.  Bad agricultural policy.  Bad public policy.
February 7, 2001. Was the RCMP directed to go easy on companies involved in the tobacco black market? Health groups want to know. 
January 24, 2001. Health Groups Applaud BC’s Leadership in Tobacco Control. 
January 16, 2001.   Newly released tobacco documents show plans to deceive consumers and authorities.
October 10, 2000.  Negotiations Begin on Global Treaty on Tobacco.
May 31, 2000.  Forum on Tobacco Industry Documents
February 8, 2000:  Doctors’ group calls on B.C. government to release tobacco industry documents
November 11, 1999:  Imperial Tobacco’s ‘Elastic’ Cigarettes .  Study shows that cigarettes were designed to release more nicotine
October 25, 1999:  Abnormally low tobacco taxes are a rip-off of public money and are prolonging the tobacco epidemic, health groups say
June 24, 1999: One in three kids’ health at risk from household smoke, doctors warn
June 1, 1999: Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada honours Dr. Richard Stanwick
April 28, 1999:  Secret Documents Show Imperial Tobacco Targeted Youth “Starters”
April 26, 1999:  Tobacco Company Breaking Law, says Doctors’ Group
November 16, 1998:  A Guide to Tobacco-Free Mutual Funds
October 28, 1998:  Despite law, cigarette marketing continues to increase

Newsletters

May 2001 – 2000
October 2000
November 1999