Cancer society wants government action on youth vaping rates in Nova Scotia

An official with the Canadian Cancer Society in Atlantic Canada is sounding the alarm about youth vaping rates in Nova Scotia and what the organization sees as a lack of action by the provincial government to do something about it.

Data from Statistics Canada show a third of high school students in the province are vaping and almost 55 per cent report having tried it at least once.

"That's some of the highest levels in Atlantic Canada and our government is failing to stop the culture of vaping that has started in our schools," said Heather Mulligan, the cancer society's manager of advocacy.

"These products and these devices contain nicotine. Nicotine has significant impacts on our young people. It alters their brain development, their lung health [and] their cardiovascular systems

'It's being driven by addiction'

Mulligan said the most shocking finding in the StatsCan numbers is that among students who say they're active vape users, 28 per cent say it's because they're addicted. Eighteen per cent say they do it to relax or relieve tension, while 11 per cent say they vape because they like the sensation.

"So, we have a situation where it's being driven by addiction," she said.

The society wants the provincial government to pass legislation that would raise the age that people can legally access vape products from 19 to 21, said Mulligan.

Because high school students are often tapping into friends and family connections to get products, raising the age would curtail obtaining products through social networks, she said. It would also make it more difficult for vape shops to sell the products to young people, said Mulligan.

"About 14 per cent of Nova Scotia youth are getting their hands on it from a retail location," she said.

Earlier this month, RCMP charged a man who was operating an unlicenced vape shop that they allege was targeting youth.

The Health Department provided a statement saying the government "has long recognized the serious harms associated with tobacco and vaping products" and is concerned about the use of the products by young people.

But it did not respond to questions about the cancer society's call to raise the legal age to be able to access vape products.

"Public Health staff actively monitor the tobacco and vaping environment in Nova Scotia and remain committed to reviewing evidence related to effective tobacco control legislation."

Mulligan pointed to P.E.I., where the legal age to buy tobacco and vapes was raised to 21 in 2020. In U.S. states that have made similar changes, Mulligan said modelling shows a decrease in youth vaping rates by at least 25 per cent.

Government working on prevention curriculum

She said the society's push to change the legal age for access is supported by groups such as Doctors Nova Scotia, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and public health officials.

"There's a host of advocates who are calling on the government to [take] this action, but the time to act is now."

The government statement noted previous actions such as banning flavoured vape products and providing funding to Smoke Free Nova Scotia. Officials in the Education Department and Office of Addictions and Mental Health are also working on substance use prevention curriculum for students in grades 6-9, according to the statement.

Mulligan said the latter would be a good step, but it needs to come with "strong legislative approaches to curbing the youth vaping epidemic."

MORE TOP STORIES