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gatewaynews
www.pgcitizen.ca | Thursday, December 6, 2018
Canadians support vaping regulations
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AP file photo
A national survey looks at Canadians’ attitudes towards e-cigarette use and the apparent prevalence of vaping among different age groups. An electronic cigarette is demonstrated in Chicago on April 23, 2014.
or the past couple of years, vaping has become ubiquitous in certain Guest Column urban areas across Canada. Some of the country’s residents have become Mario Canseco Special to Gateway enthralled with the idea of inhaling mercials in the United States. and exhaling vapour produced by Vapers were quick to point out that their e-cigarettes or similar devices. product was not tobacco, so it should not When Research Co. asked a represenface the same restrictions as a regular tative sample of Canadians if they had “vaped” over the past year, only 11 per cent cigarette. Almost six years later, there are still some major vaping-related legislative answered affirmatively. The practice is curchallenges developing rently more popular across North America. among residents aged Almost nine in 10 In the United States, 18 to 34 (19 per cent), respondents to our survey establishing a thorough and drops to single countrywide legislation digits among those (88 per cent) favour has taken years. In most aged 35 to 54 (eight prohibiting the sale of places, a person has to per cent) and those vaping products to minors. be 18 years old to buy aged 55 and over (six e-cigarettes, but some per cent). of the flavours and offerings are extremely While vaping might be perceived as another “millennial thing,” it is not as catch- tempting to minors. While the American Food and Drug ing as some would assume. Our survey shows that four in five of Canada’s youngest Administration is studying issues such as age verification for online and retail adults – a sizable majority – did not use an sales, recently re-elected New York Gov. e-cigarette in the past 12 months. Andrew Cuomo has said he plans to issue Regionally, vaping is more prevalent in an outright ban on the sale of flavoured Atlantic Canada (15 per cent) and Alberta e-cigarettes in 2019. New York may not be (13 per cent), followed by Ontario (11 per the only state to pursue such a plan. cent), Quebec (10 per cent), British CoIn Canada, the federal government relumbia (nine per cent) and Manitoba and cently took action to deal with the e-cigaSaskatchewan (eight per cent). Proponents of vaping have been relatively rette regulatory limbo, and the decisions proved very popular with Canadians. successful in marketing their product as a Almost nine in 10 respondents to our healthier alternative to tobacco. Back in 2012, an advertisement featuring survey (88 per cent) favour prohibiting the sale of vaping products to minors. actor Stephen Dorff called attention to the — see IF YOU VAPE, page 9 long-standing ban on tobacco product com-