Right now, many elected officials in various places have been moving towards restriction or prohibitions of electronic cigarettes. However, not everyone in the public service sector believes that ecig use has no place in society. There are still some open minded individuals in society who believes that this world is not only for the non-smokers.
Manitoba, Canada
If you happen to be in Winnipeg School Division, be sure you will never take out or use your electronic cigarettes because the board of trustees has recently banned them.
However, this is the only place where ecig use is not allowed. According to Manitoba, the use of flavored tobacco, vaporizers and electronic cigarettes remain to be allowed on public properties, at least for now.
A spokesperson for the provincial government stated that there are currently no specific policies concerning ecigarette use. Manitoba is merely relying on the guidance and advice of Health Canada. Nicotine-containing ecigs and any health claims of ecigarette makers are regulated by federal Food and Drugs Act. Before these nicotine-laced ecigs are imported, sold or advertised in Canada, companies first need to obtain authorization.
The province is not looking for a prohibition right now, but businesses and others are free and welcome to establish their own policies regarding the issue. The spokesperson also said that the government is planning to work with the other provinces in coming up with consistent and clear national regulations on ecigarettes.
According to Manitoba’s Tobacco Reduction Alliance, the new trend of smoking nicotine is alarming. Murray Gibson of MANTRA remarked that a lot of efforts were spent on the denormalization of smoking and ecigarettes are threatening to undo these efforts. Considering the long term side effects of chemical inhalations, the only possible way to help kick smoking is ban vaping the way traditional smoking is banned by the government.
Vaping in restaurant has been banned by Carbonne on St.Mary Avenue. The restaurant said that families eating dinner there would be distracted by vaping. Meanwhile, customer Michelle McKinnon of Fat Panda on Regent Avenue West agrees that flavored tobacco is a healthier alternative.
McKinnon said that she wanted to quit smoking 4 months ago, but nothing worked. The products were an easy alternative for her. She said that is a person does not smoke or has not smoked, he/she will not start smoking soon just because he/she sees another diner vaping.
Louisville, Kentucky
If Lexington became the eighth Kentucky city to have banned ecigarettes, Louisville decided that it will not become the ninth. According to Vicki Aubrey Welch, a Louisville Metro Councilwoman, it is not among the priorities of the council to establish a citywide ban on the devices.
She said that she does not think there is urgency for it at the moment. There are other current issues they need to deal with that are far more important that vaping. She explained that there is no adequate evidence to confirm that vaping poses non-smokers to the same risks that tobacco smoking poses them to.
Carol Riker of the University of Kentucky Center for Smoke Free Policy, disputed. She said that studies have shown that vapors also emit toxic and harmful substances. This could be right, but studies have also shown that the levels of these unwanted chemicals are way too low to be considered risky.
Welch said that there is no secondhand smoke in electronic cigarette vapors that can put other non-users to the same risks that cigarette smoke has. Right now, the FDA is on the process of finalizing its proposed ecig regulations. Treating ecigs as tobacco will eliminate any chance of ecigs in being a highly useful tool in promoting public health.
