Commentary to the Prince Edward Island Department of Health and Wellness Regarding Live Well (PEI) Wellness Action Plan

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) welcomes the opportunity to provide commentary regarding the proposed generational tobacco ban in Prince Edward Island. TPA is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.

While protecting the next generation from the harms associated with tobacco is laudable, generational bans disregard the significant declines in youth and adult smoking in Prince Edward Island. Moreover, such policies are in reaction to the growing market of tobacco harm reduction products and are counter to the province’s (and Canada’s) forward approach to addressing the ongoing opioid crisis. Rather than implementing prohibitions, policymakers should work towards educating youth and adults of the harms associated with combusted tobacco products.

Key Points:
• Youth use of combustible cigarettes in Prince Edward Island is at a record low, with only two percent of students in Grades 7-12 reporting past-month use in 2021-22, a 62.3
percent decline from 2018-19.
• Although the use of e-cigarettes initially rose, recent years have experienced a decline. In 2021-22, 40.5 percent of youth had ever tried e-cigarettes, and 26.6 percent reported past month use. These figures represent decreases of 13.7 percent and 11 percent,
respectively, from 2018-19.
• Among all Canadian youth, only one percent reported past-month use of combustible cigarettes in 2021-22, a 28.6 percent decrease from 2018-19. Similarly, vaping rates have also decreased nationally.
• In 2022, 13.1 percent of Prince Edward Island residents aged 15 years and older were smoking, a 47.2 percent increase from the previous year.
• There is a need for better education on the relative risks of different tobacco products.
Misconceptions about the harm of e-cigarettes compared to combustible cigarettes could lead to higher rates of traditional cigarette use.
• Generational bans on tobacco products do not address the underlying issues and may drive users to unregulated markets. Instead, policies should focus on harm reduction and informed choices.
• Prince Edward Island’s approach to tobacco contrasts with its harm reduction strategy for opioids, highlighting a need for consistent policies that reduce harm without pushing users towards unregulated and potentially more dangerous markets.