Tobacco and polluting vehicles: Better regulation to curb consumption

The report draws inspiration from the success of the fight against tobacco to show how progress can be made in reducing the number of polluting vehicles. It compares public policies and proposes disincentives that can be implemented immediately to limit the impacts on public health and the environment.

Read this to:

• Understand the parallels between the evolution of consumption and of the regulations on tobacco and polluting vehicles;
• Learn how anti-smoking strategies can serve as inspiration for effective policies to reduce the use of polluting vehicles;
• Explore key recommendations on how to regulate the advertising, sale and use of polluting gasoline-powered vehicles.

Striking similarities

The evolution of automobile use is comparable to that of tobacco consumption in the 20th century, with striking similarities in their impacts on public health and the environment. The mass advertising strategies of the automobile industry call to mind those of the tobacco industry, with their emphasis on values like freedom and prestige, and their promotion of a lifestyle rather than a mere product.

And like smoking, the automobile creates dependence not only by the practical necessity of having to get around, but also by a deeply rooted psychological attachment. Infrastructures and land-use planning continue to favour the use of the car, reinforcing this dependence.

Lastly, both sources are major contributors to air pollution, containing similar toxic substances and disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable populations. But while tobacco consumption declined thanks to strict regulations, the number of gasoline-powered vehicles continues to rise, underscoring the need for similar regulations.

From the cigarette to the tailpipe: uneven regulations

The evolution of tobacco regulations in Canada, marked by advertising bans, graphic warnings on packages and tax hikes, was responsible for a significant reduction in smoking rates: from 50% in 1965 to 10% in 2020 (1).

Conversely, regulations on polluting vehicles, marked by the introduction of emission and fuel consumption standards and of incentives for the sale of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), have not been enough to prevent a steady increase in the number of vehicles on our roads: from 12.6 million in 1990 (2) to 24.3 million in 2020 (3).

When it comes to automobile advertising, despite advisories and guidelines, self-regulation continues without any legal teeth, although the Competition Act and the Consumer Protection Act prohibit deceptive practices, albeit with only limited, general application. While tobacco advertising has been prohibited for decades, automobile advertising is only loosely regulated.

Automobile, tobacco, same lobbying strategy?

The two industries have used similar tactics to delay regulation, such as disinformation campaigns and the promotion of band-aid solutions. Much like the tobacco industry, the automobile industry has trivialized the negative effects of its products and resisted regulations bye making economic and practical arguments. Both industries have also offloaded responsibility for the negative impacts onto the consumer and deployed social responsibility strategies to whitewash their image. A voluntary approach to regulations has proven ineffective, as was the case for tobacco use. Strict regulations are needed to protect public health.

Our recommendations

Despite governments’ climate and electrification commitments, current measures are not enough to curb the rise in the number of polluting vehicles or to lower their greenhouse gas emissions. Taking a page out of the anti-smoking playbook – which featured actions such as recognition as a public health issue, the regulation of advertising and of the places of use, and the implementation of tax measures – a number of avenues can be explored and rapidly deployed to discourage people from buying gasoline-powered vehicles.

1. Recognize the rise in the number of polluting vehicles as a public health issue

2. Introduce stricter regulation of automobile advertising

   • Create a Canadian code on automobile advertising

   • Make it mandatory to display information on vehicles’ impacts on safety and the environment, and on their pricing

   • Include messages promoting sustainable mobility

   • Publish guidelines on environmental performance

   • Put in place a monitoring mechanism to enforce compliance with advertising standards

   • Phase out the advertising of polluting vehicles

3. Ramp up the creation of low- and zero-emission zones

4. Prohibit events sponsorship and public partnerships

5. Reform the tax system for automobiles

   • Introduce a more effective fee-remission system

   • Index the gasoline tax

   • Establish kilometre-based pricing