Qu Jiebing, a provincial councilor from Richmond, said the popularity of e-cigarettes among young people in the province was shocking. It is estimated that one in three students in 10 to 12 classes in middle schools vape. The figures are far superior to traditional cigarettes. To attract teenagers to vape and make huge profits, vape traders add flavors such as vanilla, mint and fruit to vape juice. However, more and more studies have proved that vaping is not only more addictive, but also contains many harmful substances, such as nicotine, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, cotinine and quinoline, which seriously affect the brain development of minors.
Source：Lahoo.ca
Qu Jiebing stressed that if the trend continues, there will be a large number of young people in the province poisoned by electronic cigarettes. The situation has reached a very serious level, but there is still no restriction on electronic cigarettes by the New Democratic Government. As a result, Todd Stoneston, a provincial councillor from the BC Liberal Party Kamloops-South Thompson District, introduced a “Private Act to Protect Minors from E-Cigarettes” in the provincial council today, demanding immediate action by the government to regulate the sale of e-cigarettes.
The bill includes amending the current tobacco product control law, prohibiting the sale of vape juice with added flavor, tightening the control over the retail sales of electronic cigarette products so as to restrict supply, stipulating that adult-only tobacco stores, electronic cigarette specialty stores, designating pharmacies to sell electronic cigarette products, and increasing penalties for violations. The bill extends the previous BC Liberal Party government’s policy of restricting teenagers’access to electronic cigarette products.
Qu Jiebing said that in order to protect adolescents from the harm of e-cigarettes in different communities, including Richmond Province, the government was urged to take immediate action to pass the bill and implement prevention and support programs in primary and secondary schools throughout the province to educate adolescents about the harm of e-cigarette products.
