Ontario health minister studying e-cigarettes as Toronto mulls ban
Ontario gathers information on e-cigarettes as Toronto mulls a ban on smoking them in public places.

thestar.com
Aug. 13, 2014
By Rob Ferguson

Health Minister Eric Hoskins won’t rule out action on e-cigarettes but says he’s gathering more information on the “new phenomenon” as Toronto considers a ban on their use in public places.

“There may be measures that need to be taken by the province but I’m not going to prejudge,” Hoskins said Wednesday in the wake of a push by Toronto medical officer of health Dr. David McKeown to have a citywide ban if the Ontario government doesn’t take action by February.

“February is a long ways away,” said the health minister, who is responsible for the Smoke-Free Ontario Act that prohibits smoking in public and workplaces.

“It’s important we do our homework and research, look at the science, look at what other jurisdictions are doing.”

Electronic cigarettes are fuelled by batteries and can mimic the appearance and taste of regular cigarettes but do not contain tobacco and produce vapour instead of smoke, says a report from McKeown, who is worried the products will undermine antismoking laws.

As a product, e-cigarettes fall into a grey area if they’re sold without nicotine cartridges. Health Canada does not allow the sale of import of e-cigarettes or liquid refills containing nicotine.

Hoskins congratulated McKeown for raising “important questions” about e-cigarettes and said Health Canada should decide whether they should be classified as a drug or tobacco product.

The minister, who is a medical doctor, also called on Health Canada to determine the usefulness of e-cigarettes in helping traditional smokers kick the habit but says he also has concerns about “continuing to protect our youth from entering into the smoking habit.”

“We need to determine if it has a role in smoking cessation and if it does that needs to be taken into account,” Hoskins told reporters, noting he will raise the issue at a meeting of federal, provincial and territorial health ministers next month in Banff.

“It’s an emerging issue, it’s important we stay in front of it.”

A number of municipalities have urged the federal and provincial governments to regulate the making, selling and promotion of e-cigarettes, with Red Deer, Alta., already banning their use.

Peel Region has banned e-smoking in its workplaces and York Region school boards have a similar ban. The Toronto Transit Commission is expected to considering a ban on e-smoking on its property.