IRVINE: Canada's backward nicotine policy is protecting cigarettes
October 06, 2026 by westernstandard.news
IRVINE: Canada's backward nicotine policy is protecting cigarettes
Canada’s nicotine policy has created a strange kind of protectionism: not for innovation, but for cigarettes. Smoke-free alternatives face restrictions, limited access and public confusion, while the product responsible for the greatest harm remains familiar and widely available. That imbalance matters because smokers respond to what is easiest, cheapest and most clearly explained. A policy that makes safer nicotine harder to reach is not neutral — it leaves cigarettes in the strongest position.
10.60% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 3.5 million current smokers in Canada 13.10% of men are current smokers but only 8.10% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR
