Evidence of meeting #37 for Health in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was product.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
That's what came to mind.
I'm very concerned because I think what we're facing, what you're facing as a regulator, is a tsunami of marketing and sales and health risks and health issues.
I have a bunch of questions. I'm not going to get to them all, so I'll just start at the top. What narcotics are users inhaling in these devices, other than marijuana and nicotine?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Department of Health
We aren't aware of narcotics being used in these devices. We've received no reports from law enforcement on that.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
Is there an issue with people sitting near users getting second-hand nicotine into their lungs, like with second-hand smoke?
Executive Medical Director, Therapeutic Products Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
The question is there certainly. There is legitimate reason to suspect that the vapour that contains nicotine when it's inhaled still contains nicotine for other recipients. Before we say yes or no, we need to do more studies.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
Do the users think these things are safe? Have you seen any studies? Are people using them because they think they are a safe way of getting nicotine without smoking?
Associate Director General, Controlled Substances and Tobacco Directorate, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Department of Health
I'm not sure that we have market research on that particular question. I will note though that under the Canadian tobacco use monitoring survey we have asked a series of questions around e-cigarettes and Canadian use and perceptions on it.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
Okay.
You said you sent letters to stop sale. I'd like to ask you how that is working.
Acting Senior Director General , Regions and Programs Bureau, Department of Health
To date we're aware of 123 physical locations and 31 websites as of the end of August this year that continue to sell e-cigarettes containing nicotine despite receiving stop-sale letters.
Acting Senior Director General , Regions and Programs Bureau, Department of Health
We continue to monitor it, and we take a risk-based approach.
Acting Senior Director General , Regions and Programs Bureau, Department of Health
On product we have seized in the last two years, we have not seized any product. Prior to that we have seized 4,828 e-liquid bottles and cartridges, 21 complete sets, and 71 disposable e-cigarettes and e-cigars.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
That would represent a tiny percentage of what's on the market, I would assume.
Acting Senior Director General , Regions and Programs Bureau, Department of Health
That would be a safe assumption.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
Have you considered issuing any cautions to the public in newspapers, social media, posters for high schools, that kind of thing?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Department of Health
Health Canada has issued a warning, recommending that people not use these products.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
I'm talking about how warnings are issued, for example, those methods that reach people.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Department of Health
The tool we've used to date has been the Health Canada website.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
Thank you.
You mentioned poisonings of children in your opening remarks. How did they occur?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Department of Health
We have no reported incidents of that in Canada but we do monitor internationally. The cases we're aware of involve large refillable cartridges that contain nicotine, when the child gets their hands on a cartridge and drinks it.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
Madam Geller, it sounded in your opening statement—and correct me if I'm wrong—that you were waiting for more evidence before you enforced the Food and Drugs Act.
Do I have that right?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Department of Health
No. That's not the impression we were trying to convey.
We do enforce the Food and Drugs Act. The actions that Peter spoke about were under the Food and Drugs Act. It's a question of the Food and Drugs Act covering a lot more than electronic cigarettes and where you choose to apply your inspection resources. That's the risk-based approach he was referring to.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
Okay.
Is it your impression that e-cigarettes are selling primarily because people want nicotine in their systems?
Associate Director General, Controlled Substances and Tobacco Directorate, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Department of Health
I'm not sure that we have a response to that.
I'll go back to the fact that we have some data that we're expecting to release early in the new year. We asked a series of questions around e-cigarettes, including how difficult it would be to get the substances and whether people think they are harming themselves by using the products. We will have more information available to us in the near future.
Conservative