Dear Editor,

[Re: No more vapes, The News, May 7, 2021]

It seems Mayor Mike Morden and council are making decisions about vape stores, calling them “addictive and damaging products,” and “acting in the interest of community safety to protect young people.”

I am appalled by the statement published May 7. Vaping is a harm reduction tool for smokers. It is at least 95 per cent less harmful than smoking as stated by Health England. Minors are not even allowed inside a vape store.

It seems that Mayor Mike Morden is acting on misinformation being spread by big tobacco and big pharma.

Using the “Save the kids” type of excuses to restrict harm reduction for adult smokers is a bad move.

If you really wanted to “Save the children,” you would do something about cigarette sales, liquor sales, weed sales and open drug use by all the junkies taking over the downtown area.

Dave Springman, Haney Vape Supply, Maple Ridge

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• LETTER: Maple Ridge educator lauds council’s limiting of vape shops

• READ MORE: Youth vaping rates levelled off in 2020, while numbers of smokers declined