FREDERICTON, N.B. – Some New Brunswick groups are calling for electronic cigarettes to be considered the same as tobacco products.
The NB Lung Association would like to see the provincial government enact stricter regulations for e-cigarettes, saying there’s just not enough research to know the long-term effects of using the vaporizers.
“There are a lot of chemicals,” said Barbara Walls with the NB Lung Association. “They say they’re trace amounts and this and that, but just like tobacco products you kind of go ‘well, what are they in there for in the first place?’”
There is nicotine in e-cigarettes, but customers can vary just how much they’re getting – from 24 milligrams to zero. That’s why some users, like Chris Nason, say “vaping” has helped them quit smoking.
Nason smoked a pack a day for 20 years. Now, he hasn’t touched a cigarette in three months.
“I’ve tried quitting before with all the other stuff they offer and it never lasted, I always go back. But since I’ve been using this vapor now, I’ve never had an urge to smoke again and never gone back.”
Nason says one of the things that has helped him are the flavour options of the liquid, or “e-juice.” But that’s raising some eyebrows as well. Some say the fruit and candy flavours are marketed at minors.
“Over the long term, are you wanting to be the guinea pig for this?” said Walls.
But fans of vaping say they’re saving money, and they feel better with the e-cigarettes. Jack Youssef is a shareholder of East Coast Vape, a Fredericton-based store specialising in e-cigarettes and supplies. The store follows guidelines from the Electronic Cigarette Trade Association of Canada.
He says the government should do more research into the benefits of vaping before considering more regulations.
“I’m not opposed to the government making regulations. What I am opposed to is the government making regulations for all the wrong reasons,” he said. “If it’s for health purposes, I’m sorry guys, but the numbers are showing what it is. People are giving up cigarettes for this device.”
The provincial government is watching the Nova Scotia legislature closely as they discuss regulations for e-cigarettes. Health Minister Victor Boudreau says it’s something his department is considering.
“It’s like in many other areas where sometimes legislation needs to keep up with technology. So now that you’ve got these e-cigarettes on the market now, it’s something that we need to get our head around to see how we’re going to deal with as a province, as a society.
“So it certainly is something that we’ll be keeping on our radar screen and we’ll certainly be keeping an eye on Nova Scotia to see how it all unfolds.”
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