Tag: minors

Nova Scotia proposes province wide e-cigarette legislation

On: By: Howie

Nova Scotia Proposes province wide e-cigarette legislation

A new proposed legislation will proses aggressive restrictions against electronic cigarettes province wide.  These potential relations would include:

  • Restrictions of selling e-cigarettes to those 19+
  • No displaying e-cigarettes on stores
  • No advertising e-cigarettes
  • Ban the use of e-cigarettes indoors
  • Ban any ‘flavorings’ added to e-liquid, except menthol

Health Minister Leo Glavine stated that the government wants to change the definition of smoke to include water pipes and vapour from e-cigarettes.  He stated that steps are needed to address emerging evidence that e-cigarettes pose a health risk, especially to young people.  What this evidence is was not clearly defined.   There are at least 200 studies showing e-cigarettes as successful harm reduction products.

Those opposed, including imperial tobacco state that the province of Nova Scotia is making a ‘big mistake’ by regulating e-cigarettes lumped together with tobacco cigarettes.

Want to do something about this?

Click Here to sign the petition

We need e-cigarette users from Across Canada to ban together in an attempt to let our government know that we do not want our choices away from us.  Banning flavoured e-liquid would effectively reduce the choices for Nova Scotia vapers to no flavour and menthol.

 

US to ban e-cigarette sales to minors — is Canada Next?

On: By: Howie

After many years of neglect, the U.S. food and drug administration has finally proposed a rule that would ban the sale of electronic cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18.   In our humble opinion, this is something that should have been addressed years ago.  This long awaited proposal would be the first federal regulation of electronic cigarettes in the US.

This ruling will be a step towards broader restrictions in the US, after many years of a ‘wild west’ attitude, with no regulations at all.  Other areas that will be looked at is the advertising of e-cigarettes, and the flavoring options of e-cigarettes.  Critics of advertising of e-cigarettes state that it risks introducing young people to electronic cigarettes in the first place.  Others believe that having appropriate warnings for electronic cigarettes — i.e. only for use by adults over the age of 18 on advertisements would be a much better option.  Some have argued that the flavouring options; Cotton Candy, and fruit flavours for example, appeal to younger people and should therefore be banned.  FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg said the current proposal “lays the foundation for many more actions and activities.”

How will this affect Canadians?  Likely not too much in the foreseeable future.  Health Canada is typically very slow and methodical to react to anything, and often waits to see how other Countries decisions and actions effect their system before taking any action.  Health Canada’s response to the US restriction for sale to minors simply said this:  “(We are) monitoring the actions of regulators in other jurisdictions, and considering all options for appropriate oversight of these products“.    I guess only time will tell, however if the past is any indication fo the future, any regulations that take place in the US will likely be copied very slowly in Canada.