Today, amendments to The Tobacco Control Act were passed unanimously by the Legislative Assembly allowing the province to move quickly to ensure regulation of vaping and vaping products is in line with existing tobacco legislation.
鈥淨uick passage of this legislation demonstrates how important it is to further protect our youth from vaping,鈥� Health Minister Jim Reiter said in a government release.聽鈥淚 want to thank our partners and health stakeholders for their support for this legislation and look forward to consulting with them again on the regulations and how to best address flavoured vaping products.鈥�
Over the next months, the Ministry of Health will proceed with the necessary supporting regulations to address both the restrictions on vaping and vaping products and the enforcement.聽New signage prohibiting vaping will be made available for public buildings, retail locations and school properties. It is anticipated that The Tobacco Control Act amendments and supporting regulations will be in force in early 2020.
Introduced on November 5, the amendments in Bill 182 will:
鈥⒙爎estrict the sale of vapour/e-cigarette devices and products to individuals 18 years of age and older;
鈥⒙爌rohibit the display of vapour/e-cigarette products in a retail business where young persons have access;
鈥⒙爎estrict the use of vapour/e-cigarette products in and around public buildings, including schools and school grounds, in the same manner as our provincial tobacco legislation;
鈥⒙爌rohibit the sale of vapour/e-cigarette products from specified facilities such as amusement parks, arcades, and theatres where youth frequent; and
鈥⒙爎estrict advertising of vapour/e-cigarette products in the same manner as tobacco products by prohibiting advertising signs and promotional signs in areas where young persons can enter.
聽Geoff Auckland of the Vape Shack in Yorkton said the government has headed in the right direction.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good. It hits a lot of things that are good for the vape industry,鈥� he said, adding a key is 鈥渢o keep it out of the hands of high school students and young people.鈥�
Vaping products were never supposed to be a 鈥榟obby鈥� product for youth, but a cessation product for people wanting to quit smoking, said Auckland.
At the same time Auckland said he is happy to see that the new regulations are not prohibiting the same of flavoured vaping products.
鈥淚t鈥檚 left the flavours alone for a while at least,鈥� he said, adding that is crucial as flavoured products make up about 95 per cent of product sales.
More important is to 鈥渃ap the nicotine levels,鈥� said Auckland, adding while he doesn鈥檛 stock them the ultra-high nicotine level products are the ones that are addictive.
Auckland said most vape shops have been proactive in ensuring no sales to minors and avoiding high nicotine products.
鈥淪o shops are not going to be effected that much,鈥� he said.
The Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) has also come out as supporting the provincial government鈥檚 steps to control and regulate vaping in Saskatchewan, particularly among youth.
However, in a release the SMA stated it remains hopeful more stringent laws will be considered in the future.
鈥淭he SMA applauds Health Minister Jim Reiter鈥檚 announcement today of new vaping regulations. They have been a long time in coming and are particularly important now, as vaping among youth continues to rise in Canada at an alarming rate,鈥� said Dr. Mark Brown, a Moose Jaw family physician, in an SMA release.
A British Medical Journal study released in June revealed a 74 per cent increase in vaping among Canadian youth from 2017 to 2018. Dr. Brown noted Saskatchewan鈥檚 physicians took a stand against vaping at the SMA鈥檚 2019 Fall Representative Assembly in Saskatoon last weekend. Dr. Brown presented the following three resolutions, which were passed on Friday, Nov. 1, by delegates representing the province鈥檚 doctors:
鈥� That the Saskatchewan Medical Association urge the Government of Saskatchewan to ban the sale of tobacco, marijuana, and vaping products to anyone under 21.
鈥� That the Saskatchewan Medical Association urge the Government of Saskatchewan to apply the same laws that prohibit the consumption, promotion and display of tobacco products to vaping products.
鈥� That the Saskatchewan Medical Association call upon the Government of Saskatchewan to ban flavoured vaping products from sale in Saskatchewan.
鈥淪askatchewan鈥檚 physicians asked for vaping laws that aim to reduce promotion and consumption similar to tobacco legislation, and the government has delivered in this area,鈥� Dr. Brownsaid in the SMA release.
鈥淗owever, physiciansbelieve that flavoured vaping products should be banned from sale in the province, which the government isnot proposing at this time. Also, physicians favour a ban on sales of vaping products -and tobacco and marijuana 鈥揻or anyone under 21,and the government has set the age at 18,鈥� Dr. Brownnoted.
鈥淭he SMA, and Saskatchewan鈥檚 physicians,will continue to press for more stringent regulations in these areas. Physicians are extremely concerned about the effects vaping will have on the health of users in Saskatchewan.
