Project Kelpie

There is potentially an emergence of vaping associated lung illness (VALI) and rapid rise in youth vaping within Canada. The need for a solution to support current vaping inspection processes is becoming critical. The inability to limit the amount of marketing Canadian youths are exposed to on social media is a problem. An investment to improve current methods to identify and track digital ads, viral marketing campaigns, giveaways, and lifestyle promotions is needed to stop the rapid rise of youth vaping within Canada.

The legal framework for regulating vaping products aims to protect young persons from nicotine addiction and e-cigarette use, while allowing adults access to vaping products as a less harmful alternative to smoking tobacco. Recent evidence, however, shows a significant increase in young Canadians taking up vaping, and that youth who use e-cigarettes with nicotine may become addicted and are at increased risk of becoming smokers.

A combination of promotional activities (events, use of social media), attractive flavours and new smaller, sleeker, devices are driving the increased appeal of these products for youth. Other jurisdictions and stakeholders, including provinces/territories, municipalities, school boards, national level Non-Government Organizations and public health officials are very concerned about what is now considered a public health issue, and urging the Federal government to take action to stem the increase of vaping among youth.

Marketing of vaping to young persons by leveraging social media, including using 'influencers' is a well-documented tactic. Monitoring the vast and constantly changing landscape of social media is extremely resource intensive and time consuming. The use of modern and innovative technologies is essential to ensure ongoing, quicker and more efficient/effective ways to find incidences of suspected non-compliance, especially of promotions that would be considered “appealing to youth”.

While the initial focus is to achieve benefit for the Tobacco and Vaping Compliance & Enforcement Program, the lessons learned will also benefit other HC inspection programs, as they work to strengthen their ability to have oversight of the online marketplace environment.