Saskatchewan lung health advocates applaud U.K.’s move toward ‘smoke-free generation’

Kuan said the legislation comes at a time when nicotine use, particularly among young people, continues to be a growing concern.

“We’re in a potential rising tide of a health crisis with smoking rates and more importantly, vaping rates, particularly amongst youth,” she said. “And so I think a significant intervention like this is going to set us up for healthier generations and less drain on our healthcare system in the future.”

She said the costs associated with the healthcare system in terms of caring for people who eventually have lung disease is in the billions.

Erin Kuan, president and CEO of Lung Saskatchewan. (Image Credit: www.lungsask.ca)

According to the Associated Press, smoking rates in Britain have declined significantly since the 1970s, but smoking still contributes to about 80,000 deaths annually and remains the leading preventable cause of death.

In Canada, there are similar concerns around youth nicotine use. Kuan pointed to federal data showing that younger Canadians are experimenting with vaping at higher rates than older age groups.

“In 2022, Canadians aged 15 to 19, so that’s about 30 per cent, were more than twice as likely to have tried vaping than those that are 25 years and older,” she said. “So we have, you know, a significant number of late teenagers that are trying nicotine products, maybe never even having smoked.”

She added that one in five Canadians aged 20 to 24 and one in seven aged 15 to 19 reported vaping within the past month, calling the trend “quite staggering.”

Kuan said policies like the U.K.’s could help curb those numbers over time, even if implementation isn’t perfect.

“For sure, absolutely. And I think anytime we as society make a bold change, it will be imperfect and that’s okay,” she said. “There’s going to be lots of learning along the way.”

She noted a similar effort in New Zealand to ban smoking was later repealed following a change in government, but said the U.K.’s approach could still provide valuable lessons.

“I think, you know, when you’re talking about protecting future generations, those future generations won’t know any different,” Kuan said. “Of course, they’ll know that access could exist on in unlawful ways, but I think even if we can take steps to reduce the nicotine use amongst youth, that that’s going to be a positive outcome.”

The proposed law has faced criticism from some groups who argue it could impact small businesses and personal freedoms. Kuan acknowledged those concerns but said the long-term health benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

“We’re talking about protecting entire future generations from the harms of one of the number one causes of death,” she said. “At the end of the day, your lungs are meant to inhale only one thing, and that’s clean, fresh air and anything other than that is detrimental.”

In Saskatchewan, efforts are already underway to reduce nicotine use. In 2024, the province raised the minimum age to purchase vaping products from 18 to 19, aligning it with alcohol and cannabis laws.

At the national level, the federal government has set a target of reducing the smoking rate to less than five per cent by 2035, though Kuan said current trends suggest Canada is not on track to meet that goal.

“Although smoking rates are going down amongst adults, they are on the rise between both traditional cigarette use and much more rampant use of vapes among youth,” she said.

Kuan added that stronger enforcement and continued prevention strategies will be key moving forward.

-with files from The Associated Press

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

by paNOW Staff

Saskatchewan lung health advocates applaud U.K.’s move toward ‘smoke-free generation’

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