A motion raised by Lake Country Coun. Penny Gambell to have stricter laws and regulations in place to curb vaping among youth was passed at this week’s council meeting.
The motion passed unanimously and a letter will be written and sent to Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), in hopes it will qualify and be accepted.
“I would like regulations put in place,” Gambell said, “getting some control over vaping and young people.”
Gambell said the issue was brought to her attention by Interior Health.
Once reading a few studies published by the organization, she decided more needs to be done to keep Lake Country’s young people safe from the potential harms of vaping.
In the motion, Gambell proposed there should be more education material, restraints on marketing laws and fines from the RCMP.
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In a November 2018 statement by the Canadian Government, it states Canada has “established a strong regulatory framework for vaping products, with a focus on preventing uptake by youth and non-smokers.”
This framework, the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA), includes “significant restrictions on the promotion of vaping products,” such as bans on advertising that appeals to youth and lifestyle advertising.
The short- and long-term effects of vaping is unclear thus far, as it is still a fairly new topic being researched. However, there is speculation that vaping — especially with nicotine — can lead to addiction, chemical exposure that can lead to lung damage and in some cases, has been known to alter teen brain development, according to the of Canadian government.
According to Interior Health, smoking rates have decreased amongst 15-19 year olds, but have increased in vaping: almost one in four Canadian youths between 15 and 19 have reported trying an e-cigarette.
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