SASKATOON – Saskatoon city council has voted to ban electronic cigarettes. Councillors voted 8-2 Thursday in favour of accepting a report to include e-cigarettes under the definition of smoke/smoking.
That means e-cigarette use is banned in all city-owned buildings, pools, seating areas of outdoor sports facilities and within nine metres of civic buildings.
The issue came up after e-cigarettes were used on Saskatoon Transit and city property.
Mayor Don Atchison said the city will be better off with the ban.
“The reason being is we want to treat cigarettes and e-cigarettes exactly the same,” Atchison told Global News.
“It’s been said that some of them don’t have nicotine and that in them, but by the same token, they claim that they do too.”
“We want to get ahead on this and in the end, I think we will all be healthier and better off in Saskatoon for it.”
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Councillors also approved a report recommending no smoking in municipal open spaces such as parks and sports fields.
Administration will send a letter to the Saskatchewan government lobbying to have smoking banned in public places province-wide.
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