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Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada – November 25, 2019. Last week the first webinar was held between the Vaping Industry Trade Association (VITA) and its membership. Unexpectedly, one of the participants made the slides and other information available to us. With this confirmation that this organization is funded by and operating in the interests of tobacco companies, governments should ensure that their relationships with this entity meet Canada’s international treaty obligations. Tobacco companies are the “founding directors” of VITAThe Vaping Industry Trade Association (VITA) was established in the summer of 2019 to replace the Electronic Cigarette Trade Association (ECTA). It was incorporated on September 19th. It is not known at this point whether the choice of the acronym VITA – the latin word for life – was made with a sense of irony or denial. |
All but one of the “founding directors” of the new organization are identified as the PR-directors of 3 “tobacco-affiliated” e-cigarette producers active in Canada: Imperial Tobacco Canada (VYPE), JTI-Macdonald (Logic) and JUUL. Tellingly, the term “tobacco-affiliated” is used by VITA to describe JUUL, whose ownership relationship is with a USA tobacco company, Altria which, in turn has working relationships with Philip Morris International, the owner of Rothmans, Benson and Hedges.. There is a 4th multinational tobacco company which sells e-cigarettes in Canada (Imperial Brands makes myBlu). It is not present in the cigarette market and has not participated in the historic cooperation among the three larger firms. Imperial Brands is excluded from membersehip in VITA. |
Tobacco interests provide 100% of VITA’s funding.It was confirmed to us that these “tobacco-affiliated” organizations have provided a 3-year funding commitment to the organization. Other members do not have to pay dues during this period. Tobacco companies control key activities of VITAOf the 5 operating committees of VITA, three are chaired by “tobacco-affiliated” employees: |
The Technical Committee is chaired by the director of scientific and regulatory affairs at Imperial Tobacco, Richard Voisine. The Communications Committee is chaired by Imperial Tobacco’s Manager of Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs, Amee Barber The Government Relations Committee is chaired by JUUL’s Director of Federal Affairs (and former MP and Ontario Minister of Energy), Glenn Thibeault. |
VITA has engaged PR and GR consultants who are well connected with governmentIn addition to Glenn Thibault, VITA has engaged other former politicos to influence opinion and regulation. Among those presenting at the webinar were: Gordon Taylor Lee of National Public Relations supports the Commications Committee. From 2004 to 2012, he had senior positions in Health Canada and the Public Health Agency, including in the office of the Minister of Health. Terrence Oakey at One Persuasion. Prior to working as a lobbyist, he advised on health policy for Stephen Harper. |
VITA’s planned advertising campaign is aimed at discrediting public health voices.Charcoal Marketing has been hired to roll out a social media campaign, focusing first on British Columbia and then in other provinces where the industry feels vulnerable to increased regulation (British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and Nova Scotia). |
The key messages for this campaign combine promotion of the product class as “safer” and also re-deploy familiar tobacco industry campaign themes. 1) virtue-signalling of intent to protect children and 2) discrediting of public health concerns. (The traditional third arm of argument is to predict dire unintended consequences of regulations). |
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VITA has hired a controversial physician to plead its case.On November 19, VITA announced that they had hired Dr. Mark Tyndall. The press release says that he was hired to advise and help interpret new evidence. But VITA members were told last week that his job is also to promote vaping to the medical community. On the same day that his appointment was announced, Dr. Tyndall tweeted in support of the rights of vapers. His twitter profile does not yet acknowledge that he is a paid influencer. |
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VITA’s job is to interfere with public health policy. Government’s job is to prevent that from happening.How should governments, the media and the public manage their relationships with this new industry group? Guidelines for interaction with tobacco interests are provided by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. As a party to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Canada (including provincial governments) are committed “to protect these [public health] policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry.” Among the guidance given to government in implementing these guidelines are the following: (1) Raise awareness about the addictive and harmful nature of tobacco products and about tobacco industry interference with Parties’ tobacco control policies. |
Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada – November 25, 2019.
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This is simply untrue.
Dvine, LaVape Shop and Valor are not tobacco affiliated and are all founding members.
Many vape shops are members and supporting financially.
Has regwatch joined the mainstream media in spreading propaganda and lies?
Disheartening…
Hi Lars, absolutely not. Our position on vaping has not changed. Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada is one of the oldest and most venerable non-profits fighting tobacco use in Canada. They have the ear of government and this post is their message about Vita. RegWatch has curated this content because it is important for our audience to see. RegWatch does not endorse the content it curates to the website. Frankly, it’s quite insulting after 4-years of dedicated coverage to this issue that viewers would question our editorial integrity.