Pubdate: Sat, 19 Dec 2015
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456

BAN PUBLIC VAPING

The Ontario government was on the right track with its plan to stiffen
the Smoke-Free Ontario Act and ban the use of e-cigarettes wherever
tobacco smoking isn't allowed starting on Jan. 1.

It would have meant e-cigarette smokers couldn't "light" up and blow
clouds of vapour about in workplaces, restaurants, bars, movie
theatres and other public places.

That was a smart move for two reasons. It would prevent people from
being irritated from vapours released by e-cigarette liquids laced
with everything from peppermint to nicotine. And it would have
answered concerns that the use of the devices in public spaces
"normalizes" smoking behaviour after decades of public health
campaigns dedicated to making it socially unacceptable.

Now, unfortunately, Associate Health Minister Dipika Damerla has
postponed the Jan.1 ban on vaping in public spaces. She should rethink
her decision.

The delay stems from the fact that the government still hasn't
resolved whether or not to allow medical marijuana users to vape or
smoke in public spaces. The minister says she wants to bring in all
regulations concerning vaping at the same time.

That's a bad move. The public space vaping ban, coupled with a ban on
the sale of e-cigs to those under 19 (which is still slated to go
ahead on New Year's Day), had been welcomed by such well-informed
groups as the Canadian Cancer Society, the Ontario Medical
Association, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health and Toronto Public Health.

And while the minister says she will move to restrict the places
e-cigarettes can be used "early in the new year," one can only wonder
whether she will be able to fulfill that promise if it hinges on
resolving the ultra-controversial issue of whether medical marijuana
users should be able to "light" up e-cigarettes or joints anytime,
anywhere.

Indeed, the government's initial acknowledgement in November that it
planned to allow medical marijuana users to smoke or "vape" in public
spaces was so badly received that it was withdrawn within a day for
further study.

Regardless of the issue of second-hand smoke or vapours from cannabis,
no one knows what the harmful effects of e-cigarettes might be, either
to users of the devices or those exposed to secondhand vapours. Both
the provincial and federal governments are funding research into the
health effects.

In the meantime, the ban on vaping in public spaces should not be
delayed. It was the right decision when it was made, and it's still
the right thing to do.
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MAP posted-by: Matt