In Canada, the sales (as well as advertising and importing) of e-cigarettes have been banned since March of 2009, while the sale of real, and much more harmful, tobacco cigarettes remains legal. Canadians who have wanted to continue using them or switch to vaping in an effort to quit their nasty habit, have had to resort to buying them from other countries.
The reasons behind Health Canada’s ban include possible addiction, improper use possibly leading to nicotine poisoning, no market authorization and a lack of quality control. Considering that we already know tobacco cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known cancer-causing compounds and 400 other toxins but remain legal, the ban seems to make little sense.
Is big tobacco behind this, or is it the pharmaceutical giants, or a real concern for the health of Canadian citizens?
With so many people struggling to quit a decades-long habit of smoking traditional cigarettes and experiencing little success with the other quit smoking options such as the nicotine patch or medications, and finally achieving their goal through the use of electronic cigarettes, it is unlikely the underlying factor is truly about the nation’s health.
The more people switch to electronic cigarettes, the more the tobacco industry loses on their bottom dollar. But many feel that the Canadian government’s ban on e-cigs are in reality upholding a monopoly for pharmaceutical giants who are the sponsors for the medical and public health establishment, just as they are in the United States.
Chantix is one of the many smoking cessation drugs that are approved for use for those who want to quit smoking. Many have raised questions about its safety yet it remains on the market in both the U.S. and Canada. The many side effects include an increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts and patients have reported wild dreams, inexplicable violent behavior and other psychological disturbances in addition to an increased risk of heart attack and side effects such as nausea, headache, vomiting, drowsiness, gas, constipation and trouble sleeping.
Fortunately, Canadian citizens still have the option of buying e-cigarette starter kits and cartridges online.