Canadian vape manufacturer tries to dispel ‘myths’ with new website

Canada’s Imperial Tobacco Company, one of the largest cigarette manufacturers in the country, recently launched a website that touts dispelling “myths” about vaping and its links to lung injuries. The “Facts, not Fear” website asserts that vaping is a less harmful alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes, labels the U.S. focus on related lung injuries as “hysteria,” and warns against “impulsive regulations” from the government to curb youth vaping. Only in a small section does Imperial Tobacco allude to also selling vaping products.

Health Canada, Canada’s leading public health agency, told me that although vaping is a smoking alternative, “[It] is important for Canadians to know that vaping does pose health risks and that the potential short- and long-term effects of vaping remain unknown.” The agency, which is working to advance new vaping regulations, also encourages Canadians to seek information from independent sources such as physicians.