New Electronic Cigarette Regulations pending in Nova Scotia November 11, 2014 08:50

The government of Nova Scotia announced that electronic cigarettes will be banned from being used in indoor public environments with respect to the changes of the past tobacco laws.

A message from the health minister Leo Glavine explains that the government is trying to alter the meaning of smoking to stop vapour and waterpipes from electronic cigarettes.

In the  Smoke-free places Act, the true meaning of smoking will be altered to deal with artificial items such as vapour and waterpipes from electronic cigarettes. Furthermore, in the Tobacco Access Act, the meaning of tobacco smoking will be altered to address electronic cigarettes such as tobacco products.

The alteration of the law will as well prevent selling outlets from marketing electronic cigarettes to people under 19. However, it will also prevent stores from advertising, displaying or promoting e-cig products. Nevertheless, flavoured tobacco will be among the products on ban as well.

The health minister Leo Glavine went further by saying the procedures are required to deal with new proof that electronic cigarettes cause health damage, especially to the youth.

However, Imperial Tobacco mentioned that the government is making a big blunder by altering electronic cigarettes law just as it did for the tobacco options.

Electronic cigarettes usually offer nicotine in form of vapour and studies have shown that they are healthier than smoking. Nonetheless, a scientific debate is presently being carried out on their safety.

Imperial Tobacco markets smoking products fabricated from tobacco in Canada, but its parent company British American Tobacco fabricates and sells electronic cigarettes.

According to Sebastian Dolan, a spokesman for Imperial, he mentioned that as Health Canada is looking into the regulatory framework for electronic cigarettes and either Imperial Tobacco Canada or British American Tobacco wants to trade with these products, then hopes are the new law favors them.

In fact, Imperial cannot believe that the government is ignoring the counsel of some public health workers who prefer electronic cigarettes as an alternative to smoking.

The health minister re-accentuates that the government is not banning electronic cigarettes, but has plans to regulate them.