While the ban on most flavors for e-liquids is imminent, certain groups do not seem ready to give up vaping and have just launched an information campaign in certain dispensaries in Quebec. A reaction of pride for some, a prisoner for others…
“BYE SAVEURS”, THE “ADVERTISING” THAT DISTURBES…
One week before the ax banning most flavors for vaping products, an information campaign seems to be sowing discord in Quebec.
«If you disagree with this decision, contact your local MP here»: for the past week, posters calling for contesting the Quebec government's decision to abolish vaping flavors have been installed in Couche-Tard convenience stores in the province.
No one really seems to know where this rebellion which tries to alert vapers about the imminent ban on flavored e-liquids comes from. Obviously, this does not sit well with the highest echelons and a government investigation is underway to verify the legality of the “ads”.
Placed near the checkouts and entrances, the multi-colored posters with a friendly design from the “Bye Flavors” campaign catch the eye. At the top, different flavors of vaping products are crossed out to signify their imminent removal from shelves as of October 31.
AN INITIATIVE OF THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY?
At the bottom of the poster, a countdown indicates the time remaining before the fateful date. Vaping enthusiasts are also invited to go to the www.byesaveurs.ca or scan a QR code to access it.
Once on the website, the intention of the campaign is no longer in doubt: to encourage consumers to challenge the government's decision to abolish vaping flavors. “If you disagree with this decision, contact your local MP here“, we can read in particular.
A simple search allows you to know that the domain name byesaveurs.ca is registered and administered by Imperial Tobacco, an international tobacco manufacturer that also markets vaping products. The company also confirms having launched the campaign.
If the intention is laudable, the fact that it is a tobacco player who is the investigator brings a certain discredit to the operation.
By email, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) states that “several restrictions apply to advertising of vaping products. For example, advertising cannot contain anything other than text, must not be aimed at minors, be made in a misleading manner, use a slogan, etc.».
The MSSS thus confirms that an analysis is underway to determine whether the poster and the website contravene the laws and regulations in force regarding the fight against smoking.
At the federal level, the Regulation respecting the promotion of vaping products also prohibits the promotion of these products when it is done in such a way that the advertising is seen or heard by minors.
After analysis, Health Canada affirms, however, that the promotional posters of the byesaveurs campaign do not contravene the regulation, since they do not target any tobacco or vaping product in particular.
