Councillor calls for review on city vaping ads

Torontosun.com
November 22, 2019
Bryan Passifiume

Concerns over vaping ads appearing near city schools have triggered calls to review Toronto’s outdoor advertising policies.

Councillor Paula Fletcher is urging city officials to make sure advertising displayed on city-owned street furniture and transit shelters complies with the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, which forbids supplying or selling vaping products to minors.

She made the call in a notice of motion that will go to city council next week.

Last month, the province announced that gas stations and convenience stores will no longer be allowed to advertise vaping products. The province is only allowing ads to be displayed inside specialty shops that restrict access to minors, including vaping stores or cannabis retail outlets.

In her motion, Fletcher cites concerns that ads promoting vaping have been seen on municipally-owned property adjacent to Toronto schools.

Health Canada has issued a warning, linking pulmonary illness with vaping, amid a reported outbreak of patients suffering from vape-related sicknesses.

Vaping by youth, according to a September report from the city, jumped 74% between 2017 and 2018.