BC health advocates are demanding that the government place regulations on vaping and tobacco product sales.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation along with Canadian Cancer Society and The Lung Association says currently retail control is minimal.
With regulations tightening around cannabis sales, they believe the same should apply to tobacco and nicotine. They are suggesting the Government put in place a license fee, annual fee, ban the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies and take proximity to schools into account.
There are currently 4,400 licensed retailers in the Province, according to Clean Air BC.
Director Jack Boomer says that “with cannabis licenses, the provincial government and the municipal government are all over the distances to schools. When it comes to alcohol we don’t just plunk bars wherever we want, there are some restrictions because we know that access and proximity make a difference.”
He says that vaping should be considered a gateway because youth are up to four times more likely to start smoking regular cigarettes if they already have a dependence on nicotine.