By Katherine Svenkeson

Local shop manager comments on proposed vaping regulations

Nov 29, 2016 | 1:00 PM

The government of Canada has proposed regulations that plan to make vaping products less accessible to youth, something one shop manager in North Battleford agrees with.

Sylvia McLean at Twisted Ink in North Battleford, agrees to a point with the incoming legislation.

“I think it’s something that should be regulated, and I think, like a tobacco product, it should be kept from youth and minors,” McLean said.

Vape regulations and laws are few and far between in Canada. Currently, there are no regulations across Saskatchewan, but cities and towns may have their own bylaws, such as Saskatoon which restricts vaping anywhere smoking is restricted as well.

The proposed legislation would pass dozens of policies into law, including restricting flavours that appeal to youth, plain packaging, no vaping in marketing (TV or radio ads), and no comparing the effects of vaping to tobacco health effects.

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The legislation hopes to separate the vaping industry from the tobacco industry. If passed, it would have benefits as well as drawbacks for users and shop owners.

According to Health Canada, one in four youth aged 15 to 19 have tried an e-cigarette. However, McLean said she doesn’t notice a lot of youth coming into her shop for vapes.

“There’s the odd younger person that expressed a desire to go into the [vape section of the shop], but I don’t know if they’re just curious, if they’re vapers or if they want to look at the other things there.”

There are some things she doesn’t agree with though, including flavour restrictions.

“Everyone is big into the flavours and that’s why vaping popular,” she said.

E-juice flavours like fruits and deserts would be allowed, as long as they don’t have a representation on the label, but the legislation would work to prohibiting other flavours, such as candy. According to McLean, flavours are a big part of the vaping industry.

“To the ex-smoker, the flavour isn’t always as important, in fact some of them are just looking for a tobacco flavor,” she said. “But there’s a percentage of them that are more interested in the other flavours than tobacco. I think it would change the appeal of vaping greatly.”

Legislators had the first reading on Nov. 22, and will still have to pass second and third reading, the report stage and committee stage before being put into effect.

Katherine.svenkeson@jpbg.ca

@ksvenkeson

Editor’s Note: This story was corrected at 2:27 p.m. to change McLean’s title from owner to manager.