Manitoba‘s Healthy Living Minister Deanne Crothers introduced new legislation Sept. 14 that prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, limits advertising and promotion, and bans their use in most indoor, public places.
The Manitoba Lung Association’s Margaret Bernhardt-Lowdon had nothing but praise for the legislation.
“I love the fact they are banning them in public places where children are present. We don’t know what people are puffing in or what they’re puffing out,” Bernhardt-Lowdon told the media.
The legislation doesn’t ban vaping in all indoor spaces. It will still be allowed in bars, casinos, and other adult-only establishments where the electronic devices are predominately sold, as well in designated smoking/vaping rooms.
There is also an exemption for medical cannabis.
Green Party candidate for Kildonan – St. Paul Steve Stairs and Kristen S Aldrich confirmed with Winnipeg Alternative Media that patients, “can still vape wherever we want as long it’s medical marijuana.”
Vancouver City Council passed similar changes to their anti-smoking by-laws last year.
At the time, City Manager Penny Ballem told city councillors, “This by-law has no prohibition in terms of anybody who needs anything for medicinal purposes.”
Less than a year later, Ballem changed her tune and announced that vape lounges had to go.
“What we know is the public-health people in this country and in other places in the world have determined that vaping has a real risk to people’s health,” she said.
However, Ballem acknowledged a grey zone with cannabis and recommended a dichotomy between vaping for recreational and medical purposes.
Photo credit www.vaping360.com