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British Columbia Proposed Legislation
OUR Two cents:
The typical responses that have been touted around by our government continues with this legislation. “We don’t know what is in them, therefore let’s ban them” and “they may be a gateway for our youth to start smoking”. Both of these statements have been proven false again and again, yet our government uses them as a method to control a life saving device.
In our review of vaping and adolescent studies by the CDC, the amount of tobacco use in young people has gone down nearly 100% over the past 5 years, since the growth of vaping and e-cigarettes. This should be seen as a great thing and is happening despite of the ignorance of our government and not due to their promotion or acceptance of vaping and e-cigarettes.-Howie
B.C. to restrict use and sale of e-cigarettes and vapes
VICTORIA – B.C. is banning the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors and forbidding their use in buildings across the province, similar to tobacco products.
Health Minister Terry Lake said Thursday the crackdown is intended to prevent young people from being exposed to e-cigarettes, which are increasing in popularity but have unknown long-term health effects.
“Because e-cigarettes are so unregulated we don’t know what’s in them, we don’t know what the potential health effects are for young people particularly,” said Lake. “While adults can make their own choices, we think young people need to be protected from something that the health effects of which are largely unknown.”
The move, outlined in legislation Thursday, essentially bans the use of e-cigarettes in the same way traditional cigarettes and cigars are already prohibited – though people can choose to continue to smoke inside their condos or homes, depending on strata rules.
Using an e-cigarette, called vaping, will be forbidden inside all public buildings, including bars, restaurants, coffee shops, recreation centres, workplaces, hospitals, schools, movie theatres and most other spaces where traditional smoking is banned.
The ban extends to all public and private school grounds. Health authorities can still set aside special e-smoking areas, such as those currently used for cigarettes.
E-cigarette usage in parks will depend on bylaws passed by local municipalities.
Businesses that sell e-cigarettes will also have to use block the display of the products, and any advertising toward youth is forbidden, said Lake.
The new rules should come into effect before the end of the year, said Lake.
They’ll include fines ranging from $58 to $575 for people who use e-cigarettes in banned places, as well as fines of $575 for the sale to minors. Businesses that sell e-cigarettes improperly could also face administrative sanctions up to $5,000, according to the Ministry of Health.
E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that usually contain nicotine-infused liquid, which is combined with vapour when the user inhales. Some vapour is flavoured.
There’s little known about the long-term health effects of the vapour, said Lake, though e-cigarettes could have a legitimate use to reduce addiction and cut tobacco usage.
However, Lake said he believes more young people are using the devices and so the government is compelled to act to prevent access to what could be a gateway product into smoking regular cigarettes.
Advocates for electronic cigarettes have argued that they are effective smoking cessation devices for people who have unsuccessfully tried conventional treatments such as gum, patches and medication, and that they are a less dangerous alternative to smoking. The few peer-reviewed studies that have been conducted suggest they are about as effective as the patch.
Other provinces, such as Ontario and Nova Scotia, have already moved to restrict sales to minors.
The City of Vancouver banned e-cigarettes in public spaces and the sale to minors last fall. The Vancouver School Board also forbids the devices on school property.
NDP health critic Judy Darcy praised the e-cigarette move, but said the government should have expanded its legislation to ban all flavoured tobacco products.
Lake said he’s confident federal health minsiter Rona Ambrose is moving to develop nationwide regulations on flavoured cigarettes and other products.
Manitoba, Alberta and Ontario are considering or moving towards bans of flavoured tobacco.
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Big tobacco wants into the Vaping scene in Canada
OUR Two cents: This is not a surprise to us, and is something that has happened in other countries, including the US, and Europe. In the United States, Blu e-cigs was purchased by Fontem Ventures, a subsidiary company of Imperial Tobacco. Using the Blu brand, Imperial tobacco now sells vaping supplies in the US, UK, France and Italy.What is the issue with tobacco companies owning vape companies? You might think this to be a good idea, and on the surface this may seem so. Truthfully however, allowing big tobacco into the vaping sales would have detrimental affects on vaping in Canada, of this there is no doubt. For the entire history of big tobacco, they have been chronic liars, paying off doctors, settling out of court settlements, creating pseudo laboratories to provide fake testimonials and studies about the affects of smoking and cigarettes. Inventing ‘light’ and ‘extra light’ versions of their products to insinuate safety, and so much more. Just look at the litigation history of tobacco over the years. Do you want your vaping supplies controlled by such an organization? They even used Santa Clause and the Flintstones to advertise smoking, discussing their safety and even positive benefits, paying doctors, actors, and even athletes to promote their brand. Just watch this quick video as a reminder. By contrast, the vast majority of Canadian vaping companies, Canada Vapes included, have always been primarily focused on providing our products and services to customers who are legitimately looking to stop smoking cigarettes. We sell vapes as an alternative to cigarettes. Our goal is not to create new customers who are not smokers or vapers. The corporation of big tobacco certainly will do this, and sneakily and manipulatively pursue the goal of increasing vaping in non-smokers and non-vapers to pad their bottom line profits. Just look at the advertising blu e-cigarettes have done since being purchased by big tobacco, making vaping look ‘ultra cool’ with named celebrities like Stephen Dorf in their advertisements. And Jenny McCarthy’s ‘without the guilt‘ video. Just look at their provocative magazine advertising here, using a scantily clad bikini bottom with the tagline “slim, charged and ready to go” to advertise vaping. It is a guise that big tobacco wants to give their customers a ‘safer alternative’; what they really want is control of all nicotine delivery systems. They will want to grow the vaping community, they will target non-smokers and non-vapers, trying to increase their profits. Tobacco and vaping are two different worlds, with completely different goals, and completely different affects on people. One is pitted against the other, with vaping’s goal to reduce smoking. Its like a McDonald’s selling courses on how to quit going to fast food restaurants. There is an evil in the methodology of big tobacco, and anything they say to the contrary is nothing but another one of their many lies they have told over the years.
They sell cigarettes – Now Imperial Tobacco wants to sell e-cigarettes and vaping products, too
Company hopes new federal rules will allow it to communicate more effectively with consumers
By Tarannum Kamlani, CBC News Posted: Oct 20, 2016 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 20, 2016 5:51 AM ET Canada’s biggest tobacco company is hoping the federal government’s upcoming legislation to regulate e-cigarettes and vaping products could usher its entry into the booming $235-million market. “There’s no doubt that when that’s introduced, we will look at what these are, see how we can potentially be in the market in Canada,” Eric Gagnon, a spokesman for Imperial Tobacco Canada, told the fifth estate. “The objective would be to provide consumers with a different, less harmful product that they could choose and hopefully move away from the cigarette industry.” When the fifth estate‘s Mark Kelley questioned why Imperial Tobacco would want to sell a product that would compete with cigarettes, the primary source of its profits, Gagnon said: “It’s the same reason why Coke has Diet Coke and they have water. “So that means with that thinking, there’s no way that Coke could sell water … there’s no way McDonald’s could sell a salad. Why aren’t we allowed to sell a less harmful product?” Eric Gagnon, a spokesman for Imperial Tobacco Canada, says the company will look at how it might enter the Canadian market for e-cigarettes and vaping products. (Doug Husby/CBC) Last month, the federal government announced it would introduce amendments to the Tobacco Act to create a legislative framework to regulate e-cigarettes and vaping products. The changes are expected to come this fall and will seek to balance protecting minors from developing a nicotine addiction with helping adult smokers use the devices to quit cigarettes or use nicotine in a less harmful way, according to the announcement. The fifth estate requested an interview with Health Minister Jane Philpott but was told she was not available. The sale of e-cigarettes containing nicotine is not currently approved by Health Canada and is deemed illegal, although these products are easily available across the country. The new rules would regulate an industry worth an estimated $235 million annually, according to the Canadian Vaping Association. Gagnon added that he hoped any new rules would also allow the company to communicate more effectively with consumers. The Canadian Vaping Association estimates the e-cigarette and vaping market in Canada is worth $235 million annually. (Doug Husby/CBC) He told the fifth estate that it would help to ensure adult smokers see the potential health benefits of e-cigarette and vaping products and understand the differences between those products and cigarettes. “If you want consumers to start using those products, they have to be aware of them,” said Gagnon. “So if you limit the communication too much as a tobacco product then it becomes very difficult for consumers to be made aware of the potential benefits.” Under the Tobacco Act, most kinds of tobacco advertising in Canada are prohibited.‘Accept that responsibility’
In the United Kingdom, Imperial Tobacco’s parent company, British American Tobacco (BAT), has jumped on the e-cigarette and vapour products bandwagon. BAT was the first company to introduce an e-cigarette into the U.K. market, launching it in 2013. It was also the first cigarette company to get a medicinal licence in the U.K. for a smoking cessation device called the Voke. The company’s scientific director, David O’Reilly, told Kelley that BAT’s commitment to these products stems from the devastating impact smoking has had on public health. “We accept that responsibility because we sell cigarettes today,” he said. “The use of those cigarettes causes death and disease. That’s why we’re investing heavily in the research and development of safer tobacco and nicotine alternatives.” The World Health Organization estimates about one billion people around the world continue to smoke. In Canada, tobacco use kills around 37,000 people annually, according to Health Canada. O’Reilly said he strongly believes “there’s momentum behind tobacco harm reduction,” telling the fifth estate: “If we are part of the problem, as people see it, then we should be part of the solution.” But some experts in tobacco control aren’t buying BAT’s zeal for harm reduction. David Hammond, an associate professor of applied public health at the University of Waterloo, served as an expert witness on behalf of governments being sued by tobacco companies over health regulations. He remains skeptical of any talk of harm reduction by a tobacco company. “I think if they were really interested in harm reduction, they’d stop selling cigarettes. I mean, this is a company that continues to sue governments for putting health warnings on packages, including in Canada.”Provinces wait
Right now, most of the recent regulation on e-cigarettes in Canada has happened on the provincial level. It varies widely, from very restrictive in Quebec to none at all in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Public health officials across the country are waiting to see how the federal government will shape new regulations on e-cigarettes and vaping products and what role tobacco companies might play. Peter Donnelly, president of Public Health Ontario, is unconvinced that any tobacco company product could have a public health benefit. Public health officials across Canada are awaiting the new federal regulations on e-cigarettes and vaping products. (Doug Husby/CBC) “I think one should be extremely cautious about any claim that’s made by people who have a vested interest in people continuing to smoke because that’s where their profits come from,” he told the fifth estate‘s Kelley. “There is emerging evidence that young people like using it, that young people who use [e-cigarettes] are more likely to go on and smoke, and that’s a tragedy.” For his part, Imperial Tobacco’s Gagnon told the fifth estate he’s in favour of regulations that protect minors. “I have two kids. I don’t want my kids to smoke. We support reasonable and evidence-based regulation, especially the ones aimed at keeping tobacco products out of the hands of kids.” But for others in public health, concerns over the involvement of big tobacco companies are a distraction.‘Public health emergency’
Dr. Mark Tyndall, executive medical director of the BC Centre for Disease Control, calls smoking a public health emergency. In his view, the most marginalized in society are the most negatively affected by smoking and for them, current approaches to quitting don’t work. “People can say that our programs are working slowly. But it hasn’t really impacted people with mental illness and the poor,” he said. Dr. Mark Tyndall, executive medical director of the BC Centre for Disease Control, doesn’t want to see the harm reduction potential of e-cigarettes ignored because Big Tobacco companies want to get involved. (BC Centre for Disease Control) “In my clinical practice, the people who have mental illness smoke cigarettes and we’re doing nothing to help them. And they really deserve something more than a call-to-quit line.” He told the fifth estate he doesn’t want to see the harm reduction potential of e-cigarettes ignored because Big Tobacco companies want to get involved. “If we’re going to stop this, because Big Tobacco’s behind it or because our kids might get addicted to nicotine, that is not where the attention should be right now. We have a public health emergency and we have something that can help that and we need to act.” -
Study shows switching tobacco cigarettes for e-cigarettes reduces exposure to numerous toxins and carcinogens
Exposure to Nicotine and Selected Toxicants in Cigarette Smokers Who Switched to Electronic Cigarettes: A Longitudinal Within-Subjects Observational Study
A newly released study has now again proven what many of us were already aware of. Smokers switching to vaping devices that contain nicotine but not tobacco will remove the deadly toxins found in tobacco cigarettes. This will go a long way toward the fight for vaping as a safer alternative to tobacco. It will hopeful help doctors to continue recommending vaping and vape
Abstract
Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are purported to deliver nicotine aerosol without any toxic combustion products present in tobacco smoke. In this longitudinal within-subjects observational study, we evaluated the effects of e-cigarettes on nicotine delivery and exposure to selected carcinogens and toxicants.
Methods: We measured seven nicotine metabolites and 17 tobacco smoke exposure biomarkers in the urine samples of 20 smokers collected before and after switching to pen-style M201 e-cigarettes for 2 weeks. Biomarkers were metabolites of 13 major carcinogens and toxicants in cigarette smoke: one tobacco-specific nitrosamine (NNK), eight volatile organic compounds (1,3-butadiene, crotonaldehyde, acrolein, benzene, acrylamide, acrylonitrile, ethylene oxide, and propylene oxide), and four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene). Changes in urine biomarkers concentration were tested using repeated measures analysis of variance.
Results: In total, 45% of participants reported complete abstinence from cigarette smoking at 2 weeks, while 55% reported continued smoking. Levels of total nicotine and some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites did not change after switching from tobacco to e-cigarettes. All other biomarkers significantly decreased after 1 week of using e-cigarettes (p < .05). After 1 week, the greatest percentage reductions in biomarkers levels were observed for metabolites of 1,3-butadiene, benzene, and acrylonitrile. Total NNAL, a metabolite of NNK, declined by 57% and 64% after 1 and 2 weeks, respectively, while 3-hydroxyfluorene levels declined by 46% at week 1, and 34% at week 2.
Conclusions: After switching from tobacco to e-cigarettes, nicotine exposure remains unchanged, while exposure to selected carcinogens and toxicants is substantially reduced.
Implications: To our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates that substituting tobacco cigarettes with an e-cigarette may reduce user exposure to numerous toxicants and carcinogens otherwise present in tobacco cigarettes. Data on reduced exposure to harmful constituents that are present in tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes can aid in evaluating e-cigarettes as a potential harm reduction device.
- Maciej L. Goniewicz, PharmD, PhD1,2,
- Michal Gawron, PharmD2,
- Danielle M. Smith, MPH1,
- Margaret Peng, BSc3,
- Peyton Jacob III, PhD3 and
- Neal L. Benowitz, MD3
+ Author Affiliations
- Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY
- Department of General and Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Silesia, Sosnowiec, Poland
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Departments of Medicine and Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Corresponding Author: Maciej L. Goniewicz, PharmD, PhD, Department of Health Behavior, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA. Telephone: 716-845-8541; Fax: 716-845-1268; E-mail: maciej.goniewicz@roswellpark.org
- Received March 21, 2016.
- Accepted June 15, 2016.
- © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Britain’s Royal College of Physicians agree – Vaping much safer than smoking
Royal College of Physicians in Britain: Vaping Safer than Smoking
In a significant development, the Royal College of Physicians in Britain has stated that vaping is safer than smoking, a fact that the vaping community has been advocating for years. The College is now encouraging smokers to use e-cigarettes, endorsing them as a safer method for nicotine delivery.
The Report’s Findings
The report, titled “Nicotine without smoke: tobacco harm reduction,” is based on expert opinion and concludes that the hazards to health from inhaling e-cigarette vapours are likely less than the harms from smoking tobacco. The authors argue that people smoke because they are addicted to nicotine but are harmed by the tar and cancer-causing chemicals. They call smoking the biggest avoidable cause of death and disability and social inequalities in health in the U.K.
The Question of Young People and Vaping
The British group stated that there hasn’t been “demonstrated evidence of significant progression into smoking among young people.” This statement challenges the ‘gateway’ idea often used by many governments as a reason to ban or restrict e-cigarettes and vaping.
The Global Market for Vaping Products
The global market for “vaping” products was estimated at around $7 billion US in 2015. Tobacco smoking kills half of all smokers, plus at least another 600,000 people a year non-smokers through second-hand smoke. This makes it the world’s biggest preventable killer, with a predicted death toll of a billion by the end of the century, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Regulation of E-cigarettes in Canada
E-cigarettes with nicotine have not been approved for sale by Health Canada but are readily available. Many provinces ban sales of electronic cigarettes to minors. The Canadian Cancer Society says seven provinces (B.C., Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, N.S. and P.E.I.) have adopted legislation to regulate e-cigarettes by banning sales to minors, prohibiting e-cigarette use in public places and workplaces where smoking is banned, restricting advertising and promotion and other measures.
The Ideal Scenario
Linda Bauld, a professor at Stirling University, deputy director of the U.K. Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies and a co-author of the RCP report, stated, “The ideal is for people to use nothing. But when the alternative is smoking, people should be encouraged to use nicotine delivered in a cleaner form than in deadly cigarettes.”
The Anti-smoking Group ASH UK’s Response
The anti-smoking group ASH UK welcomed the report, saying it showed “that switching to vaping is a positive and sensible life choice” for smokers. “Electronic cigarette vapour does not contain smoke, which is why vaping is much less harmful,” said Deborah Arnott, ASH’s chief executive.
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E-Cigarette sales to minors refused by most stores in Canada
OUR Two cents:
I would be very curious to know if the results of this study would vary if there had been filtering between ‘variety store/gas station’ and ‘exclusive vape shop’. I feel that they may have seen much higher numbers for the vape shops exclusively, as diligence is key to the small business owner. Personally, as retail vape shop owner, I can tell you that we would never risk our business by selling to minors. We believe that the regulation to not sell to minors is a good one and we have been enforcing this since we opened our doors, prior to any official regulation.
The fact that the overall results were considered a success is a very good sign that most companies and small business owners have also been effectively ‘policing themselves’ and have chosen not to sell to minors. This makes a very good statement and we hope it’s seen as a positive result for Health Canada in the acceptance of e-cigarette sales.
One final observation. I find it interesting that the government is using their regulations on e-cigarettes as a bit of a ‘test market’ for the future legalized sale of marijuana. Health Minister Jane Philpott stated “Studies that can show effective means of limiting access of restricted products to use will be valuable (once marijuana regulations come into place)”.-Howie
Health Canada States E-Cigarettes refused to most minors
The majority of convenience stores and vape outlets refused to sell e-cigarettes to young people who tried to buy them during a four-month period last year, a draft report for Health Canada has found.
The study was undertaken to test how easy it was for young people, between 15 and 17, to purchase e-cigarettes with nicotine.
From July to October 2015, teens were sent into more than 4,000 stores across the country to try to purchase e-cigarettes, which heat liquid to create a vapour that often contains nicotine and flavourings.
The teens were sent to convenience stores, gas stations and vape outlets that specialize in e-cigarettes. On average, they were turned away 66.5 per cent of the time.
‘Our government’s plan to legalize and regulate marijuana will also include provisions to limit access. Studies that can show effective means of limiting access of restricted products to youth will be valuable to the task force as they provide our government with expert advice on how the legalization process should take place.’ – Jane Philpott, Canada’s health minister
The numbers were much higher in Prince Edward Island, where teens were refused e-cigarettes 91.5 per cent of the time. New Brunswick, Manitoba, and British Columbia ranked closely behind.
Quebec, where the sale of e-cigarettes to minors is banned, scored the lowest, with stores in Montreal turning teens away just 43.3 per cent of the time.
E-cigarettes with nicotine have not been approved for sale by Health Canada, but are not illegal and are widely available. And while many provinces have passed legislation to regulate them, including prohibiting their sale to minors, some have no rules at all.
Alex Scholten, president of the Canadian Convenience Stores Association, said he would like the numbers to be higher, but says the problem is the patchwork of provincial rules across the country, with no federal regulations.
“I have retailers calling me on a daily basis asking what are the laws? What are my responsibilities?,” Scholten told CBC.
He points to a previous study conducted by Health Canada in 2014 that only looked at convenience stores. It showed minors were turned away 90.2 per cent of the time when asking for e-cigarettes and 84.8 per cent of the time when asking for tobacco products.
Tobacco retailers seeing shift
Scholten said the lack of Health Canada approval means members of his association don’t sell the products — but other other stores do, frustrating convenience store owners who are seeing consumers’ habits change.
“Our retailers have seen tobacco sales go down in recent years with more and more consumers buying vapour cigarettes, or electronic cigarettes. So it has changed how products are being purchased.”
Electronic cigarettes produce vapour that often contains nicotine and flavourings. Health Canada has not approved the sale of e-cigarettes containing nicotine. (Mark Blinch/Reuters)
Scholten pointed to the United States, where he said sales of e-cigarettes have doubled every year over a four-year period.
“So with it being a patchwork of regulation at best without federal leadership on this, it’s really a huge void and something that I think is a grave concern to our retail members and but should also be of grave concern to Canadians, because it really is the wild west in terms of a product,” Scholten said.
Health Minister Jane Philpott’s office said on Friday that a final report on this issue will be released by Health Canada in a few weeks.
In the meantime, the minister said in a statement, “Health Canada is actively reviewing health and safety data and scientific studies on vaping products, including e-cigarettes. My department officials and I have had discussions regarding e-cigarette regulations, and I can update you further as we move forward on this file.”
Philpott added that this study, and the limits it found for teenagers, will be used for another government initiative.
“Our government’s plan to legalize and regulate marijuana will also include provisions to limit access,” wrote Philpott. “Studies that can show effective means of limiting access of restricted products to youth will be valuable to the task force as they provide our government with expert advice on how the legalization process should take place.”
Scholten said his members are not lobbying to sell marijuana when it’s expected to become legal in 2017.
He said for now, his association would just like to see the rules for electronic cigarettes applied evenly across the country.
By Susan Lunn, CBC News
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Newfoundland and Labrador working on e-cigarette and vaping legislation
OUR Two 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.
Currently, 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.”
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St. Johns school bans vaping
St. Johns Newfoundland school bans vaping at school.
OUR Two cents:
We, and the vaping community as a whole, completely support not allowing minors access to e-cigarettes and vape supplies. The fact that children are getting their hands on vape gear is a direct result of the inaction of our government to regulate and support adult only vape shops, and to issue fines to those shops selling to minors. Instead they are proposing many province wide bands which would do much more than just prevent minors from getting e-cigarettes. Unfortunately, it would also prevent adults who are looking to stop smoking from obtaining, testing, and understanding these products.
E-Cigarettes were never designed to be a fun past time hobby, but as a legitimate quitting smoking method for smokers unable to kick the habit. Using it as anything else is irresponsible. There is no way to control people who use something for what it was not designed to be used for. Take for example prescription drugs. If used for the right reasons they can be of enormous benefit to society, but some people abuse them. This is just life, and cannot be restricted or banned by the government.-Howie
Waterford Valley High in St. John’s says it has zero tolerance for electronic cigarettes, but some students say the new smokes are popular on and off school grounds.
“The [vice] principal … made an announcement that he doesn’t want any vaping in school or around school, or you’ll get suspended right away,” said student Travis Hynes.
“He’s worried about students with allergies and these vapours have lots of scents to them.”
Students Travis Hynes and Vanessa Lewis say the vapour cigarettes come in different flavours and taste better than tobacco. (CBC)
Hynes and friend Vanessa Lewis were both smoking the e-cigarettes as they left school for a lunch break Thursday, and they say a lot of students are interested in them.
“Most people feel that it’s pretty cool. If me or any of my friends have them around, they’re like can I see it … even if they don’t want it themselves,” said Lewis who estimated about a dozen students smoke the vapour cigarettes, compared to at least 40 who smoke tobacco.
Hynes said the e-cigarettes taste better. “You don’t get that gross taste in your mouth afterwards. And you don’t get so congested after you vape. It is a better alternative.”
Store takes stand
There’s no law to prevent minors from buying the vapour cigarettes, but a store near Waterford Valley High has its own policy.
Avalon Vapor says its customers use electronic cigarettes while they’re trying to give up tobacco, but it won’t sell to anyone under 19.
Avalon Vapor decided not to sell to customers under 19.
“A lot of people are speculating that the vaping industry is trying to attract children and we’re definitely not,” said owner Tristan Wall.
“We’re trying to attract smokers and get them away from tobacco because it’s ultimately harming them and we want to offer them something safer. ”
Wall says he doesn’t think the vapour cigarettes should be allowed in schools or most public places.
“It should be treated like a cigarette. I wouldn’t expect people to be walking in the Avalon Mall using the electronic cigarette or at a hockey game at Mile One.”
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New Brunswick changes smoke-free places act and the Tobacco sales act to include e-cigarettes
FREDERICTON (GNB) – New Brunswickers are reminded that changes to the New Brunswick Smoke-Free Places Act and to the Tobacco Sales Act come into effect on July 1.
“These changes represent our government’s commitment to helping New Brunswickers live longer, healthier lives,” said Health Minister Victor Boudreau. “Discouraging our residents from smoking, especially our youth, will help prevent chronic diseases, lower health-care costs, and support a healthier population.”
Effective July 1:
Under the New Brunswick Smoke-Free Places Act smoking and vaping will not be permitted:
- on patios and all similar outdoor public facilities where food and/or alcohol is served and within three metres of the patio’s boundary;
- within nine metres of doorways, windows and air intakes of enclosed public places and indoor workplaces;
- on or within 20 metres of children’s equipment and sports areas located in an outdoor public place;
- on or within nine metres of a public walking or jogging trail in an outdoor public place; and
- within the boundaries of provincial parks except within the boundaries of rented campsites, golf courses, and designated areas within the park.
Under the Tobacco Sales Act the following measures will come into effect:
- A ban on the sale of e-cigarettes and their liquids to persons under 19 years of age;
- Vapour shops will have age and promotion restrictions;
- The sale of smoking supplies to minors will be prohibited and these supplies will be hidden from sight. This will include rolling papers, blunt wraps, cigarette filters, cigarette holders pipes; and
- Product displays and advertising inside a tobacconist shop or a vapour shop will not be allowed to be visible from the outside, and outside advertisement will be prohibited.
Effective January 1, 2016, flavoured tobacco, including menthol, will not be sold in New Brunswick. Waiting until January gives store owners time to sell flavoured tobacco products they currently have in stock.
The changes will affect restaurant owners and other businesses; municipalities; landlords; government buildings; establishments that sell tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and their liquids; and individuals who smoke or vape.
Operators of businesses and facilities that are frequented by the public and affected by these changes are encouraged to use signage to assist with this transition. The following No Vaping/Smoking Posters are available for download:
For further information, business owners and facility operators may contact a regional health protection branch office. A list of these offices is available online.
Please Visit our Canadian Electronic Cigarette e-store for all your e-cig needs. We carry a large selection of e-cigarettes, accessories, and e-liquid. If you are new to e-cigarettes, visit our Beginners guide, or read a few Studies completed on electronic cigarettes.
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Nova Scotia drops part of provincial vaping ban
OUR Two cents:
While this is a nice story, and a quick flip realization of the potential harm their bill could do to smokers, ultimately the ban of vaping in Nova Scotia is not a good thing. Being one of the first provinces to actually make a restrictive ban on the sale of e-cigarettes and vape gear, they effectively paved the way for other provinces to follow suit, and over the last year many have.
It is nice to see the realization that they “need further consultation” which I think many provincial and municipal governments should agree with.-Howie
The Nova Scotia government has introduced changes to legislation banning the use of e-cigarettes, water pipes and vaporizers in public places by dropping a proposal to prohibit flavoured juice and tobacco.
Instead, it plans to consult with Nova Scotians on if certain flavours should be exempted from the proposed ban.
“After reviewing the materials presented to the government at law amendments, it is clear we need further consultation,” Health and Wellness Minister Leo Glavine said in a news release. “Our consultation will focus on products and flavours targeted at youth.”
He said consultations with the public and stakeholders will take place within a year.
The law also:
- Makes it illegal to sell e-cigarettes to minors.
- Restricts vendors from displaying or advertising e-cigarettes.
- Ensures shops that only sell e-cigarettes and ban minors can display the products inside the store.
A Nova Scotian woman who owns an e-cigarette business said she’s willing to take legal action against the province.
Shai Sinnis runs The End Vapor Shop in New Glasgow and Truro. Her business describes itself as providing a “safer alternative for tobacco smokers” and encourages people to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes.
She said her products contain no tobacco.
“We really wanted to see the electronic cigarettes removed from the tobacco act, because that will ultimately affect all business in Nova Scotia,” she said.
Sinnis has emailed Glavine, called him, gone to his office, and even sent him “snail mail,” but didn’t hear back. She said she wants a chance to explain how her industry works to government and help them make evidence-based decisions.
She said the legislation would close her business by forcing her to cover her products and limit what she could tell customers about them. She said she is willing to fight it in court.
‘Knee-jerk reaction’
The Canadian Cancer Society says it is disheartened by the flavouring decision.
Barbara Stead-Coyle, the CEO of the society’s Nova Scotia division, says the government’s amendments to its legislation that would regulate e-cigarettes are a “knee-jerk reaction.”
The changes come after some people spoke out at a legislature committee earlier this week saying the legislation as it was proposed had unintended consequences.
Some of those who appeared before the committee said e-cigarettes helped them quit smoking.
The legislation would still outlaw the use of water pipes such as hookahs and e-cigarettes in indoor public places.
NDP ‘bewildered’ by change
New Democrat MLA Dave Wilson, who formerly served as the health minister, said the Liberals were “caving in” and described himself as “bewildered” by the policy change.
Smoke-Free Nova Scotia applauded the decision to ban vaping and e-cigarettes, including hookahs, in public places. It said it will reduce the marketing of such products to children and argued the long-term effects of e-cigarettes remains unknown.
“However, we are confused as to why the government has weakened its commitment to protect children and youth from flavourings in all tobacco products and e-juice,” said President Krista McMullin.
“Obviously, Minister [Leo] Glavine had sufficient scientific evidence to introduce Bill 60 as a comprehensive tobacco control bill. We will be asking the minister what evidence is required for future legislation to regulate flavourings appealing to youth.”
The new laws take effect on May 31, 2015.
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Nova Scotia Bill 90 passed with amendments
Nova Scotia’s Bill 90: Amendments Favouring Vaping
Nova Scotia’s Bill 90, the first e-cigarette related provincial bill to be enacted in Canada, was ultimately amended to alleviate potential issues for vape shops in Nova Scotia.
The Aim of Bill 90
The primary aim of Bill 90 was to regulate tobacco, particularly flavored tobacco, effectively banning its sale. Initially, e-cigarettes were added to the bill, equating them with tobacco cigarettes.
Amendments to the Bill
Thanks to the protests of vapers and vaping advocates in Nova Scotia, several amendments were added to the final bill, reducing the difficulties vape shops would have faced if the bill had passed as originally written. These amendments included:
- Excluding e-juice/e-liquid from the restrictions, allowing vape shops to continue selling flavored e-liquid.
- Allowing vape shops to continue selling and displaying e-cigarettes, provided they restrict customers to those aged 19 and over.
Changes to Tobacco Legislation
The following changes made to tobacco legislation in the fall will also be effective from May 31, 2015:
- Under the Smoke-free Places Act, e-cigarettes and waterpipes will not be used in indoor public places or workplaces in Nova Scotia.
- Under the Tobacco Access Act, vendors will have to treat e-cigarettes the same as regular cigarettes. This includes:
- Keeping them out of view, unless the store sells only e-cigarettes and minors are not permitted entry.
- No point-of-sale promotion.
- No signage or advertising outside the store.
- No selling to minors (youth under 19).
- No selling in pharmacies and other places where tobacco sales are prohibited.
Adult Nova Scotians (19 and older) will continue to have access to e-cigarettes from most current vendors. While e-cigarettes are being treated like regular cigarettes in retail settings, they will not be taxed as a tobacco product.