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Tag: laws

  • Youth-Friendly Sour Key Pop Rock Candy Vodka Drink! Palasad Targeting Youth?

    Youth-Friendly Sour Key Pop Rock Candy Vodka Drink! Palasad Targeting Youth?

    Over the past several months, the vaping world has been attacked by both our media and our government. Allegations about vaping companies have been strong and bold, suggesting that vaping companies are targeting youth in an attempt to get them hooked on nicotine at an early age. The media and our government have been suggesting that the reason e-liquids and vaping products contain flavours such as strawberry, bubblegum, chocolate, and the like is to intentionally attract young people to vaping.

    (more…)

  • Proposed bill in Saskatchewan will increase restrictions on vaping

    Proposed bill in Saskatchewan will increase restrictions on vaping

    Jim Reiter, the Health Minister of Saskatchewan has introduced a bill proposing changes to the Tobacco Control Act.

    The legal age for smoking in Saskatchewan will remain at 18; however, the majority of current tobacco regulations and laws will now be emulated to vaping products. The proposed restrictions will mirror those currently in place for tobacco in advertising and displays.

    Reiter states “If you walk into a convenience store, the vaping products are going to have to be behind the screen. They can’t have advertising when you walk in.  the same restrictions as tobacco on where you can vape,  it’s the same as we can smoke. I would say, very broadly speaking, what you’re seeing is it being treated exactly like tobacco”.

    This is a great supporting argument to limit the sale of vaping products to regulated vape stores.  This way, patrons will be required to show government identification on entering the location as opposed to gas stations and convenience stores, where anyone can enter. Unfortunately, it looks like this is not the way the Saskatchewan government will regulate vaping products.

    Reiter noted that this is a complex issue because smokers use vaping products as a smoking cessation tool.

    If this Proposed bill in Saskatchewan is passed, the first stages of this bill would ban displays of any vaping and e-cigarette products in any areas that young people have access to such as convenience stores, gas stations, etc. The bill would also ban sales of vaping products at amusement parks, arcades, and theatres. The ban would also include prohibiting vaping in and around public buildings such as schools.

    From our perspective, regulating vaping products is a much better plan than outright banning them. E-cigarettes have their place and are saving lives across Canada. By adding restrictions that should reduce the youth’s access to vapes in Saskatchewan, we believe this to be a good overall step.

    Information for this article was provided by Regina Leader Post.

     

    Howie,

    Founder, CanadaVapes.com

     

  • Should we ban ground beef?  Pet turtles? Don’t ban vaping – Salmonella is killing Americans!

    Should we ban ground beef? Pet turtles? Don’t ban vaping – Salmonella is killing Americans!

    From the mind (and mouth) of Howie – Founder of CanadaVapes.com – Canada’s First (and subjectively best) Vape Shop since 2010.

     

    The Controversy Surrounding Vaping Bans

    In recent months, the discussion around banning vaping has reached a fever pitch. Several states have outright banned all vaping devices, regardless of whether they’re being used as a smoking cessation device or bought off the street. The outcry from government heads has been to ban it all.

    The Impact of Smoking

    It’s important to remember that smoking cigarettes is the #1 preventable killer of Americans. Around the world, smoking claims the lives of 8,000,000 people each year. (SOURCE) Vaping has been extensively studied and found to be 95%+ safer than smoking (SOURCE). Yet, in the face of fear and panic, the knee-jerk reaction has been to ban it.

    Comparing Risks: Salmonella vs. Vaping

    By comparison, Salmonella kills an estimated 420 Americans every single year. That’s 1.2 Americans every day, dead from eating ground beef or playing with their pet turtle and not washing their hands. Salmonella causes 1.35 million illnesses and results in over 26,000 hospitalizations each year (SOURCE). So, where is the outcry to ban ground beef or other potential sources of Salmonella?

    Here is a list of the ingredients of our e-liquids at Canada Vapes.    There are four ingredients only.  There is no reason for nicotine e-liquids to contain this product.  If they did, this situation would have arisen over 10 years ago when vaping started getting popular.  Some unregulated THC vape pod manufacturers have been using it in their products recently as a thickening or thinning agent. (SOURCE)

    The Real Culprit: THC Infused Vaping Pods

    THC infused vaping pods have been found to be the primary culprit of Vaping Related Illness, and the CDC has claimed Vitamin E Acetate as the major contributor to the vaping related illnesses across the US (SOURCE). Vape e-liquids with nicotine do not contain Vitamin E Acetate.

    The Role of Regulation

    In Canada, where marijuana is legal and therefore regulated, Health Canada has stated that marijuana pods and vape pens sold in Canada do not contain Vitamin E Acetate, never have and never will. This highlights the importance of regulation in ensuring the safety of consumers.

    The Bottom Line

    At the end of the day, nothing is completely safe. However, the risks associated with various activities need to be compared and understood. For those who are smoking cigarettes and cannot quit, vaping could be a safer alternative.

    Even if you are a non-smoker and non-vaper, the fact that the US government is so quick to shout out “Ban!” whenever something happens that brings them fear, is a dangerous environment to live in. One day your government may ban or make illegal something you want or need, so take concern about this situation.

    Peace & Love,

    Howie

    NOTE:  This article is subjective to writing.  Not to be taken tooooo seriously.

  • Richmond British Columbia bans promotional advertisements for vaping on city property

    Richmond British Columbia bans promotional advertisements for vaping on city property

    City Council voted unanimously against advertisements for vaping products on any city property throughout Richmond British Columbia.

    Clay Adams, who is the spokesperson for the city of Richmond, states “vaping is a significant health issue. All the evidence suggests that, and this is the at least one thing that we can do. We hope others will follow suit and do similar.”

    I disagree with this concept that promoting any adult recreational activities or harm reducing activities should be banned across Canada. If this is going to the stance of our government, we should be banning all alcohol and gambling related advertisements in any public places. These activities both have the potential to do great harm to the youth in our Country.

    What I’d rather see, is to require any vaping advertisements to come with it additional risks and information similar to the responsible gambling rules required for promotion of gambling. To my understanding, there are no required warnings on alcohol advertisements in Canada.

    Almost everything we do carries with it a degree of risk. Unless we want to see Canada become either a nanny state, or worse some sort of socialist – communist society, there needs to be some sort of free market capabilities and grace for various products and services that are for adults.

  • Toronto Ontario considering mandatory licences for local vape shops

    Toronto Ontario considering mandatory licences for local vape shops

    This Monday, October 7th, 2019, the General Government & Licensing Committee signed off on a new recommendation.  This vaping regulation would require businesses that sell vape products in Toronto to buy a license from the city.

    If this proposal continues it could come into place by the end of October.

    Toronto Ontario considering mandatory licences for local vape shops

    Its estimated in the Toronto area to be 78 specialty vape shops, and up to 1,400 gas stations and variety stores selling vape products.

    The proposal would cost vape shop owners an estimated $645 initial fee, and annual fees of $315.

    From my perspective, being a vape shop owner, I’m all for vaping regulations across Canada.  The problem is this:  “…of the roughly 1,400 locations in the city that sell vape products, including gas stations and tobacco shops, Grant said will be a different process.  The locations that already have licenses to sell tobacco will be required to register with the city that they are selling vape products at no additional cost.” (citation)

    What this means is, of the 1,478 businesses actively selling vaping products in Toronto, 1,400 of them will not have to pay any additional fee to be allowed to sell vaping products, and 78 of them will.  This will specifically target stand alone vape shops in Toronto.  I am all for regulation, but it needs to be fair and balanced.  Targeting the 0.55% of stores that specialize in vape shops with licensing fees, and allowing the 1,400+ gas stations and grocery stores to pay nothing, is unfair.

    Lumping tobacco products and vape products is a dangerous precedent.  Vaping products need to be separated from tobacco products in the eyes of the world, and lumping them all together, and forcing vape shops alone to incur additional fees is unreasonable.

    What is needed (in my humble opinion) is regulation on the quality of the products, and not just not selling vaping products to minors.  If all that is needed to sell vape products is a license, but the quality of the products remains unregulated, concern will still remain about the safety of vaping products.

    What we need is a regulation similar to current regulations we have for selling and manufacturing food products, which has specific requirements, including expiry dates, ingredient lists, and a host of other processing and producing regulations.  This protects the public from low quality food products in our grocery stores.

    When you visit a grocery store, you have an expectation of safe food products, and when you visit a vape shop, you should have these same expectations.  With properly imposed government regulations this would be the case when purchasing vaping products.

    We recommend you purchase you vape products only from recognized and long-standing vape companies.  Don’t purchase vape products from convenience stores, pop up locations at carnivals, kiosks at malls, or farmers markets, and never buy an e-liquid without the ingredients listed, and an expiry date or manufactured date on the bottle.

     Original article can be found here.

  • Yukon to raise their smoking & Vaping age to 19

    Yukon to raise their smoking & Vaping age to 19

    Wondering about legal vaping age in Yukon? Yukon is raising the age that its residents are allowed to smoke or vape and is proposing further limits on how vaping products can be sold, used and promoted.

    The Tobacco and Vaping Products Control and Regulation Act was introduced in Yukon’s legislature on Monday and would raise the age for access to tobacco and vapour products to 19 years old from 18.

    The act focuses on protecting public health, especially that of youth, and directs how vapour products would be sold, used and promoted.

    Health Minister Pauline Frost says the proposed legislation is part of the territory’s ongoing efforts to discourage the use of the addictive and harmful products.

    The government says the changes arise out of a public survey conducted earlier this year on proposed amendments to the current Smoke-Free Places Act.

    BY STAFF:

  • Nova Scotia P.C.’s to ban vaping for individuals under 19 & ban flavours.

    Nova Scotia P.C.’s to ban vaping for individuals under 19 & ban flavours.

    The Progressive Conservatives from Nova Scotia are introducing a bill to ban vaping for anyone under 19 across Nova Scotia.

    “We know there’s a lot of health risks associated to vaping and we know that too many young people are vaping, so this is a matter of public interest and something that should be discussed before legislature,” states Tim Houston, the leader of Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservative Party.

    The PC’s will also include in the bill a ban of flavoured e-liquids and require a review of the legislation in 5 years.  “When you talk about the flavours, they’re something that attract the youth in many ways and we need to address that,” Houston says.

    Dr. Mohammed Al-Hamdani, Director of Health Initiatives for the Lung Association of Nova Scotia states he, “strongly recommends flavour bans and more stringent advertising restrictions on vaping products.

    While Canada Vapes agrees that all provinces need to restrict vaping to adults only, we disagree that banning flavours will have significant impact on the reduction of youth vaping in Canada.  We also argue that it is the adult vapers that prefer the flavoured e-liquids, and banning flavouring would reduce the effectiveness of vaping for current adult smokers.

    If you feel the same way, and want to show your support for adult vaping in Canada, we suggest you reach out to the PC party in Nova Scotia and let your voice be heard.  A conversation about being an adult vaper who was able to quit smoking; and one that needs flavours in your e-liquid for them to be effective would go a long way!

    You can contact the PC Nova Scotia Party Here:

    Phone: (902) 429-9470

    Fax: (902) 423-2465
    Toll-Free:  1-800-595-TORY (8679)
    Mailing Address
    PC Headquarters
    1003 – 1660 Hollis Street
    Halifax, Nova Scotia
    B3J 1V7

    Tim Houston is also on Twitter:

  • Vape bans could have disastrous consequences – undoing gains in smoking cessation – expert warns

    Vape bans could have disastrous consequences – undoing gains in smoking cessation – expert warns

    “It is like everyone has forgotten about smoking, which will kill over 100 Canadians today,” he said.

    David Sweanor, Professor in the Center for Health Law, Policy and Ethics at the University of Ottawa said bans and restrictions on vaping could drive more people to smoke.  This could undo years of work the public health has been doing to reduce cigarette smoking in Canada.

    In Canada, approximately 17% of deaths are due to smoking; 20% in males, and in 12% in females.  This is OVERALL DEATHS IN CANADA.  This equates to nearly 4,000 Canadians each year that die due to smoking cigarettes, cigars, and pipes.  Secondhand smoke accounts for 831 deaths in 2002, and almost 100 infant deaths were a result of smoking.  It is estimated that the average life expectancy in a smoking male goes from 78 years to 71 years, and from 83 years to 73 years in females (Source).

    Sweanor states (correctly) that the majority of the cases being investigated by the CDC in the US are NOT CONNECTED with nicotine-based vaping products, but rather connected to THC .  It is his recommendation to warn the population against THC-infused oils and not issue a blanket warning against all vaping.

    “This is hugely counterproductive,” Sweanor states regarding the panic around vaping.  Public Health Officials see the value of vaping nicotine as a harm reduction for adult smokers.  “We have the potential to get rid of the leading cause of preventable death.  What is killing people is the smoke, not the nicotine,” Sweanor continues.

    Sweanor goes on to say, “Just Say No Campaigns around vaping will have the unintended consequences of pushing people towards cigarettes”.  There are many cases in recent weeks seeing vapers moving back to smoking due to this ill-advised blanket warning from both Health Canada and The Center for Diseases Control.  “Just Say No Campaigns do not meet those criteria, particularly so when dealing with addictions, and dramatically so when the foreseeable consequences is the resumption of a massively more hazardous behavior like cigarette smoking.”

    Speaking on behalf of Canada Vapes, there is a great deal of fear within our customer base, with racy headlines about ‘vaping related deaths’, and friends and families switching from being proud of them for quitting smoking to suggesting they are killing themselves and to go back to smoking!  Outrageous!  Preposterous! …but sadly true.

    Howie from Canada Vapes states : “We have been selling Vape products since 2010, and the vaping industry has been around for over 15 years.  In our history, there have been zero episodes of significant harmful reactions from any of our over 100,000 Canadian customers.  Clearly there is a new and unsafe product in the market that needs to be called out by name.  Fortunately places like the Rolling Stone Magazine, Leafy.com, and The New York Times  are starting to get the truth into the market.  Hopefully its not too late.  Hopefully ex-smokers will not return to the terrible cigarettes.  Hopefully soon our own government health regulators will start to reveal the truth to their citizens.”

    Parts of original article from The Ottawa Citizen.  Read full article here.

     

  • Doctor states vaping bans are “A Tremendous overreaction” to vaping related illness

    Doctor states vaping bans are “A Tremendous overreaction” to vaping related illness

    Overreaction to Vaping-Related Illness: A Doctor’s Perspective

    In recent weeks, there has been widespread news about various government sources threatening and even implementing vaping bans. This reaction has been triggered by the deaths of seven people and serious lung illnesses in up to 400 individuals, all linked to vaping. Several governments worldwide are eager to ban flavors or outright ban all vaping products to reduce the number of illnesses and deaths currently happening in the US.

    Global Vaping Bans

    Here are a few examples of the growing number of governments implementing vaping bans:

    • India: The Indian cabinet has announced a ban on the production, import, and sale of electronic cigarettes. This ban includes up to three years of jail time. (Source)
    • San Francisco, USA: The city has banned the sale of e-cigarettes.
    • New York, USA: The state has officially banned the sale of flavored vaping products. (Source)
    • Chicago, USA: The Mayor has stated he would seek a citywide ban on all flavored e-cigarette products.
    • USA: President Donald Trump has suggested a flavor ban on vaping products. (Source)

    A Doctor’s View: Vaping Bans are an Overreaction

    Dr. Michael Siegel suggests that e-cigarette bans are a tremendous overreaction. After reviewing the information from the CDC, he has determined that in the overwhelming majority of cases, it is not nicotine e-cigarettes causing health issues; instead, it is vaping illicit marijuana vape cartridges. He states, “These are THC oils that people are vaping that are getting into the lungs and causing these diseases.”

    Dr. Siegel goes on to state, “We know that there was a contaminant called Vitamin E Acetate Oil that was found in all of the New York Cartridges, THC cartridges that were tested. We know that vaping oil is extremely dangerous to the lungs.”

    The Confusion Between Two Separate Issues

    Dr. Siegel suggests that our government is confusing and aligning two separate vaping-related issues; one being the vape-related deaths & sicknesses, and the second being youth vaping. He also suggests that banning flavored e-liquids will have little effect on reducing youth from vaping.

    The Big Deal

    The answer to whether this is a big deal is a resounding ‘No’. Dr. Siegel states, “We know that the overwhelming majority of smokers or ex-smokers who are now vaping, if they stop vaping, they’re most likely going to go back to cigarette smoking and that’s the last thing that we should be doing to public health.”

    This is certainly a challenging situation considering the number of uninformed people, and the misguided information coming from the media. As Dr. Siegel concludes, “with an outbreak like this, you don’t want to generalize. You want to be as specific as possible.” It’s crucial for our government to make timely & accurate statements based on the best information available at the time, and not rush in with blanket bans of vaping products which stand to affect those of us that are actively using them as a safer alternative to cigarettes. The real culprit to ban is illicit THC vape pens & pods that are made & sold on the streets.

    Please click HERE to listen to the entire interview with Dr. Siegel.  Original story posted by CBC Radio ‘As it Happens’.

     

  • Newfoundland and Labrador working on e-cigarette and vaping legislation

    Newfoundland and Labrador working on e-cigarette and vaping legislation

    OUR Two cents:

    Our 2 cents

    This article displays just another province reciting what other provinces have already proposed.   At the very least, the article does talk about people being divided on the issue, and actually seeing the potential benefits of vaping over smoking as a significant harm reduction strategy.  The argument that we should ban vaping because it looks similar to smoking and therefore will undermine all the successful reduction of smoking through previous campaigns is simply nonsense.  As the pro vaping community has clearly said in their battle cry – vaping isn’t smoking.

    To give an analogy, let’s say the government wanted to ban Harley Davidson motorcycles for their loud noises and pollutants to the air. Over 20 years, they reduced the number of people who drove Harley’s from 50% of the population to just 20% of the population.  Now let’s say that someone invented an electric scooter, that gave virtually no emissions (was healthier), and made no sound.  Would the government come in and ban the electric scooter because people may go back to Harley’s?
    -Howie

    Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Paul Davis says his government is working on new legislation that will regulate e-cigarettes.

    etiquette-3-publicvapeCurrently, there are no age restrictions on the purchase of e-cigarettes in the province nor are there any rules governing where they can or can’t be used.

    Davis says work has been ongoing to bring forward regulations.

    He says the government has been looking at options for legislation looking at what other jurisdictions have done.

    Davis says once a review is done, legislation will be tabled in the legislature.

    Newfoundland is one of several provinces moving to fill void on e-cigarette regulation while Ottawa still studies the issue.

    Come May 31, vapers won’t be able to use electronic cigarettes in indoor public spaces in Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotians under the age of 19 will be barred from purchasing e-cigarettes.

    And the same regulations that apply to cigarettes sales–no displays in stores where minors can shop–will also pertain to the cigarette substitutes.

    Nova Scotia will become the first province to regulate the burgeoning use of e-cigarettes, but it won’t be alone for long.

    British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec are in the process of passing legislation and several other provinces have indicated they plan to as well.

    A small but growing list of municipalities has instituted rules limiting e-cigarette use in public spaces (Vancouver) or municipal offices (Toronto). And businesses, especially in the transportation sector, have moved to prohibit use of the devices.

    But as e-cigarettes have gone from niche to mainstream, Health Canada–which many people feel should lead the charge to establish Canadian rules–has so far been silent.

    Other levels of government have decided they simply cannot delay any longer.

    “It would have been, from my perspective, more effective if we’d been able to move forward in a co-ordinated fashion. But we can’t afford to sit and wait for the feds to figure out where they’re going to go,” says Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health.

    With a federal election slated for the fall and Parliament’s summer break mere weeks away, it seems clear the legislation Strang and others are looking for will be a job for the next federal government.

    David Hammond, a public health professor at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ont., says e-cigarettes have created a quandary for Health Canada.

    “They appear to be frozen,” says Hammond, whose research focuses on tobacco control, harm reduction and, in recent years, e-cigarettes.

    “I think they’re absolutely twisted in knots about this. Most regulators are.”

    In fact, the products pose a legal and ethical challenge, not only for Health Canada but all involved in the public health movement that has, over decades, succeeded in driving down smoking rates by limiting how cigarettes can be packaged and sold and where they can be smoked.

    Some anti-tobacco advocates want e-cigarettes to be treated exactly like cigarettes. They argue the devices perpetuate nicotine addiction, may entice teens to take up smoking, and could undermine the hard-fought smoking bans.

    “Smoke-free places are a great motivator for people to quit. And if you were to undermine that, then you undermine the benefits of one of the key tobacco control strategies,” says Rob Cunningham, a senior policy analyst for the Canadian Cancer Society.

    But other anti-tobacco proponents see the devices as an opportunity to get hardcore smokers to stop consuming nicotine in a way that endangers their health and the health of those around them.

    “I’m very big on the idea of alternative nicotine and I see electronic cigarettes … as an indication of where we could go,” says David Sweanor, a University of Ottawa law professor who has worked for years in tobacco control.

    The potential promise and perceived perils of e-cigarettes have driven a huge wedge through the anti-tobacco community.

    “There are bitter divides in terms of people’s opinions,” says Hammond.

    “They still share the same goal. It’s actually just that people think that these products are going to push the needle in different directions.”

    The legal status quo in Canada is this: e-cigarettes that are sold with e-juice containing nicotine, or which make health claims, fall under the Food and Drug Act, Health Canada says. That law requires Health Canada’s approval to import, advertise or sell these products. And to date, Health Canada has not approved a single e-cigarette.

    So in theory it should be impossible to buy e-cigarettes with nicotine-containing e-juice in Canada. There’s a lot of daylight between theory and reality, however.

    “You can (find them) down any Main Street,” says Hammond. “I’ve got one (store) about 100 metres from my office. They’re selling nicotine containing e-juice.”

    Health Canada may be working on new rules for e-cigarettes. (The Canadian Press asked the department for an interview on the issue, but received written answers to questions instead.)

    Last fall, Health Minister Rona Ambrose asked the health committee of the House of Commons to study e-cigarettes.

    The committee’s report, written after a series of consultations, was issued March 10. It recommends the federal government establish a new legal framework for e-cigarettes, sold with or without nicotine e-juice.

    It recommends banning sales to minors, prohibiting use in federally regulated public places, restricting advertising of the products, barring the sale of e-juice flavours–such as candy flavourings–aimed at the youth market, and establishing limits on how much nicotine e-juice can contain.

    “This parliamentary report, I think for the first time, will require them to be explicit, not just about their current position but potentially where they might go. And that, I think, would benefit everybody,” Hammond says.

    Under Parliamentary rules, Health Canada must respond to the report within 120 days, which means by July 8. If Parliament has already broken for the summer, the response must still be tabled in July.

    But as one old parliamentary hand notes, some government responses to reports are more detailed than others. With the legislative stasis that accompanies the run up to elections, Health Canada may not feel compelled to tip its hand at this point.

    Strang insists he remains hopeful the federal government will make its position clear.

    “From my perspective, we need to be acknowledging the risks and benefits of these products and creating some appropriate regulatory environments. And the sooner we do that, the better.”

     

    By Helen Branswell/Canadian Press