Action is needed across Atlantic Canada to protect the next generation from nicotine addiction in all its forms, according to the Canadian Cancer Society and Heart & Stroke. Photo by JULIE OLIVER /PostmediaArticle contentAs students head back to school, many will be carrying more than just backpacks and binders. Increasingly, they’re bringing e-cigarettes (vapes) and tobacco products into classrooms, hallways and bathrooms.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe next generation of Atlantic Canadians are growing up in a nicotine landscape that looks nothing like the one their parents knew. If we are serious about protecting the health and future of our youth, our provinces must step up. This is especially the case given that youth vaping rates in Atlantic Canada far exceed the national average.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentAcross the region, we are starting to see progress. Nova Scotia was the first province in Canada to ban flavoured vaping products and to require vehicles with kids to be smoke-free. Prince Edward Island raised the legal age for tobacco and vaping products to 21 and now offers free quit aids to support people overcoming their addiction. New Brunswick has adopted legislation with a series of measures to strengthen enforcement. Meanwhile, Newfoundland and Labrador has publicly consulted on what it would mean to increase their age requirements and become smoke-free for future generations. Together, these efforts show momentum is building.Article contentWe need deliberate, co-ordinated action across Atlantic Canada to protect the next generation from nicotine addiction in all its forms. That means recognizing it as a critical public health issue with profound and lasting consequences.Article contentArticle contentWe already know what works. We must strengthen policy by ensuring all Atlantic provinces raise the legal age from 19 to 21, ban flavours and close gaps in legislation that the tobacco industry continues to exploit. We must help people quit by ensuring better access to quit supports and cessation aids.Article contentRaising the minimum age to 21 is an example of a proven and widely supported policy measure. A 2025 Ipsos opinion poll found that 85 per cent of Atlantic Canadians support a minimum age of 21 for tobacco and e-cigarettes.Article contentThis is also a moment of financial opportunity. Through the recent lawsuit settlements with Big Tobacco, Atlantic provinces will receive funding of over $2.1 billion over the next 20-40 years. These funds exist because of the devastating health impacts tobacco has had on our communities. While the number sounds big, in terms of real costs it is quite small.
Opinion: Protect next generation from nicotine addiction
