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IN IT FOR THE LONG-HAUL
The Canadian Vaping Association continues to fight for the industry
BY GORDON STRIBLING
There has never been a better time to be a part of Canada ’ s vaping industry . Nowhere is this more evident than at Canada ’ s Vape Expo , where hundreds of manufacturers , distributors and retailers descend upon Toronto ’ s International Centre to share their products with a growing customer base and build business relationships for the future . Much has gone on over the past year that the casual vaper would be unaware of . Most notably , the debate raging over the implementation of new legislation that formally regulates the industry . On May 23 2018 , the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act ( TVPA ) was given royal assent and for the first time , the Canadian government formally acknowledged that vaping is a better alternative to smoking . Meanwhile , in Ontario , Bill 174 has passed , meaning that as of July 1 , vapers and speculative smokers in Ontario will be prohibited from trying e-liquids in vape shops . This single act closes what is widely agreed to be an important gateway that encourages smokers to switch to a less harmful alternative . All this makes the work of the Canadian Vaping Association ( CVA ) so important . The not-for-profit organization acts as a voice for the nation ’ s industry and works alongside the government to ensure that regulations meet the best interests of the industry as well as vapers themselves .
Marc Kealey is a lead advocate for the CVA and was instrumental in representing the industry ’ s interests in the implementation of both TVPA and Bill 174 . Marc has been involved in tobacco harmreduction for a decade and has played a role in Ontario ’ s smokefree initiative since its inception . “ In the beginning , the industry was just a mishmash of shopowners , enthusiasts and advocates ,” he said . “ CVA founder and president Sean Casey recognised the need to get smart and so sought public affairs council .” The CVA helped legitimize the growing vape industry by working alongside Health Canada to draw up the landmark TVPA . While some people have been critical of certain elements of the act , Marc says that the industry as a whole has been positive . “ Most people in the industry understand that regulation is a good thing ,” he said . “ Any smoke-free legislation related to tobacco will be written like criminal law . Initially we wanted a bill to be separate from tobacco , but that just wasn ’ t realistic .” Next on the CVA ’ s agenda is Bill 174 . With an election just around the corner , the battle for appropriate and proportionate legislation is far from over . “ We need to start a dialogue as soon as the new government is sworn in ,” Marc said . “ We have to show them just how silly the regulations are . We ’ re not going to stop putting pressure on the government until change happens .”
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