WATCH ABOVE: Global’s Heather Yourex explains the proposed vaping bylaw in Calgary.
CALGARY – Health officials are urging a City of Calgary committee to adopt tough new rules prohibiting “vaping” wherever smoking is not allowed.
“We’re supporting the recommendations that e-cigarettes be treated like tobacco products so they’d be subject to the same restrictions,” said Dr. Brent Friesen, Alberta Health Services medical officer of health.
READ MORE: Smoking 2.0 – is vaping the new smoking?
Phase 2 of a two-part review will be presented to the city’s community and protective services committee on Tuesday. The review includes the results of a 560-person citizen survey that found 70 per cent were opposed to e-cigarette use in public areas including workplaces, restaurants and stores.
The review, prepared in collaboration with AHS, recommends the committee amend Calgary’s current smoking by-law to include e-cigarettes, prohibiting their use in and near the entrances of workplaces, public buildings, playgrounds and recreation facilities, restaurants, bars and patios, Olympic Plaza and on transit including bus stops and LRT platforms.
If passed, the by-law could take effect as early as July, giving Calgary one of the toughest policies against e-cigarettes in Canada. So far only Red Deer, Cold Lake and Vancouver have similar policies in place.
Nova Scotia is the only province to impose a province-wide ban on e-cigarette use in public places as well as a ban on sales to minors.
Les Hagen, executive director of advocacy group Action on Health and Smoking, says restrictions on e-cigarettes send a message to young people that tobacco in any form isn’t okay.
“Our primary concern is about role modeling and making sure that we’re not normalizing tobacco use, particularly among young people.”
READ MORE: Vaping: the trend some are using to quit smoking
Read the agenda for the June 9 committee meeting below:
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