Vapers across Canada came together over the weekend to call for balanced vaping regulations.
The rallies in British Columbia, Vancouver and Victoria were attended by advocates, vapers and industry representatives.
Bill S-5 legalised vaping in 2018 but provincial governments have began to tighten the laws since the youth vaping narrative began to take hold.
Rights4Vapers who organised the event fear that restrictive policies will make it harder for smokers to make the switch.
“We hear so much in the news about the so-called dangers of vaping. What about the stories of the thousands of Canadians who have quit their dangerous smoking habit? What about their voices?
“Adult smokers look to vaping as a way to quit. When governments make it more difficult to access vapour products, ban flavours and impose nicotine bans, they are putting the health and lives of smokers at risk.
Sherwin Edwards, Rights4Vapers
A ban on vape advertising in public places in Ontario has been in effect since January 1. British Columbia introduced a 13 percent tax increase on vape products the same day.
Now, Nova Scotia is to follow America’s lead by cracking down heavily on flavoured e-liquids. On April 1, the province will become the first in the country to introduce an outright ban on flavours.
The Canadian Constitutional Foundation issued a report last week which detailed the potential Constitutional challenges to vaping regulations.
Study author and leading Constitutional scholar Dr. Leonid Sirota stated that nicotine and flavour restrictions were potentially unconstitutional.
“Vaping legislation often fails to distinguish between vaping and smoking.
“This risks conveying to smokers the impression that vaping is not meaningfully different and better than smoking, discouraging them from trying what is actually the best harm-reduction method available”
Dr. Leonid Sirota
