Event Details

PHO Webinar: Raising the Age: Nicotine-free Youth?

This Public Health Ontario webinar explores the potential of raising the legal age of purchase for tobacco and nicotine products, alongside nicotine-free generation policies. Presenters will review the current evidence and their potential impact, and discuss how this evidence can be used in Ontario and across Canada to support knowledge exchange and policy changes.

Intended audience: Public health unit staff and professionals in the field of tobacco control.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Define what raising the legal age of purchase for tobacco and nicotine products entails, and nicotine-free generation policy.
• Describe the current context for implementing increases to the legal age and the nicotine-free generation policy.
• Recognize the impact of these policy options and how they can be used in practice.

Presenter(s): Dr. Michael Chaiton, Dr. Lesley James and Dr. Robert Schwartz

Dr. Michael Chaiton, PhD, is an Independent Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Director of Research at the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, and an Associate Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH), University of Toronto. He earned his PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto and has been actively involved in tobacco control since 2000. Dr. Chaiton began his career with Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada and the International Non-Governmental Coalition Against Tobacco. Dr. Chaiton is also co-director of the Collaborative Specialization in Addiction Studies at DLSPH and teaches the graduate-level course, Tobacco and Health: From Cells to Society. His research centers on assessing the impact of policies on smoking cessation and investigating the development of tobacco-related comorbidities.

Dr. Lesley James, PhD, is the Director of Health Policy & Systems at Heart & Stroke and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Western University. She holds a DrPH in Public Health Policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London. With nearly two decades of experience in tobacco control, Dr. James has played a pivotal role in shaping both federal and provincial policies, including the implementation of plain and standardized packaging, cigarette health warnings, vape taxation, and nicotine content restrictions.

Dr. Robert Schwartz, PhD, is Executive Director of the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit (OTRU), a Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH), University of Toronto, and a Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). He also serves as Director of the Collaborative Specialization in Public Health Policy at DLSPH. Dr. Schwartz has published extensively on tobacco control, public health policy, accountability, policy change, program evaluation, and government–third sector relations.

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies or views of Public Health Ontario, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by Public Health Ontario.

Accessibility

Public Health Ontario is committed to complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodations to participate in this event, please contact 647-260-7100 or capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca.