Health Committee on Nov. 27th, 2014

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

As a mom, that's certainly my preference.

The other concern is that e-cigarettes without nicotine ought not to be permitted in indoor places—or those with nicotine.

We heard earlier today that we ought to make it as easy to use as possible and offer encouragement and so on. Mr. Giller, I think you provided that testimony.

I suppose the concern is this. While a combustible cigarette is markedly different from an e-cigarette with or without nicotine, to those individuals who are not smokers, first and foremost, it's not about simply decreasing the amount you're exposed to. I think individuals who choose not to smoke ought to be entitled to an area in a workplace, or a social place, or a restaurant—you name it—that is a smoke-free environment. I think that's something many Canadians have now come to expect—

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

Excuse me, Ms. Adams, we're just a little over five minutes there.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

I'm sorry. I know that we're tight on time.

Perhaps you could submit your comments and your response to that questioning in writing.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

Or they could maybe follow up, too, if Mr. Wilks or Ms. Duncan would like to pick it up.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

Go ahead, Ms. Duncan.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks to all of you for your time and effort.

Dr. Rai, do you think we should be impeding e-cigarette promotion to non-smokers and young people?

[Inderpreet Rai]

Absolutely. If you look at young individuals, minors.... I'm a father myself. If you were to ask me whether I would want my child at the age of 18 to try a traditional cigarette or an electronic cigarette, I would 100% choose an electronic cigarette. I believe that it's that much safer.

As a company, even for us the goal was never to market towards non-smokers; it was to capture the smokers. I believe you're hearing a lot of that from some of the people you're speaking with besides us.

So yes, 100%, non-smokers and minors should not be targeted.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Thank you, Doctor.

I think, Mr. Scholten, you have the same view. Is that correct?

[Alex Scholten]

I do.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Thank you.

The WHO is suggesting that we should prohibit unproven health claims about e-cigarettes. How do you feel about that, Dr. Rai?

[Inderpreet Rai]

Well, I think that goes to us submitting a CTA to Health Canada. I do believe that studies need to be done, and I think they should be done within the Canadian system. A lot of governments are acting towards this in different ways. If you look at how the United States has proceeded towards electronic cigarettes, you see that it's vastly different from the U.K. or even from Australia. In my opinion, I like the manner in which the United Kingdom and Australia are asking for clinical studies to be performed in certain ways. I do believe that clinical studies within the Canadian system should be done.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Thank you.

I'm going to ask about indoor use. Again, it is being recommended by some that legal steps should be taken to end use of e-cigarettes in public and in the workplace. Evidence suggests that exhaled e-cigarette aerosol increases background air level of some toxins, nicotine, and particles.

I'd like to hear from you, starting with Dr. Rai, please.

[Inderpreet Rai]

My personal view on it is that I wouldn't want people using aerosolized nicotine products in a vehicle with their kids until further data shows explicitly that the nicotine isn't going to affect their children, so I would say that it should be limited.

Again, I think it is vastly different than a traditional cigarette. There is no easy answer to that question, but there are some areas that need to be looked at a little bit more.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

If I may again, Dr. Rai...? Again, it's being suggested by some that we should be trying to minimize potential—and I stress “potential”—health risks to e-cigarette users and non-users. How do you respond to that?

[Inderpreet Rai]

Well, I think the studies quite clearly show that an electronic cigarette.... Now, you're talking about two different products: an electronic cigarette and a tank system are two different things, but they both produce vapour. I think all the studies show that they are vastly superior to traditional cigarettes as far as harm reduction goes.

Nicotine in and of itself doesn't really cause too much harm in comparison. There are increased rates for potential heart attack, but much less than those from traditional cigarettes, and you don't have the 3,000-plus carcinogens that a traditional tobacco stick has. I think there's no question that they are far safer. I guess that would be my answer to that.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

I'm just trying to see where regulations should go. Do you think we should try to minimize potential health risks to e-cigarette users and non-users?

[Inderpreet Rai]

Absolutely. I know that when you're sitting here and creating this framework for regulation, there are things in the manufacturing process that you probably aren't aware of. There are things in the production of the liquid solution that you probably aren't aware of. I do think those are questions that need to be addressed. Also, these should be standardized. If you are going to allow for an open market, you need to know that your producers are producing a product that is equivalent to other producers.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

That really helps. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

You're right on time.

Mr. Wilks, go ahead, sir.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

Mr. Giller, on your website, with regard to your 2013 operations, you say that you've expanded into The Netherlands, Pakistan, and also India. I wonder if you could give me some insight with regard to the regulations of those countries specific to non-nicotine e-cigarettes? Also, is there anything we could incorporate from those countries that would be of benefit?

[Boris Giller]

Actually, those countries are a little bit more behind on e-cigarette regulation, and they are also formulating their e-cigarette regulations. I wouldn't have any more insight from those countries.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Would it be fair to say that a lot of countries are being targeted just because of non-regulation?

[Boris Giller]

We had previous connections in those countries, and that's why we targeted those.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Okay.

Dr. Rai, I was speaking to a previous witness with regard to the battery life for e-cigarettes. I used my son as an example. He's in the military and likes his e-cigarette, but when he goes on an exercise for six to eight weeks, he's kind of hooped, so he takes his four or five cartons of cigarettes along with him because he knows the battery will be running out.

Through your company or any others that you're aware of, can you provide us details on potential battery life? Are there ways of recharging that battery for those who are in remote areas?