By Daryl Major

Health Officer wants vaping regulated like smoking

Jun 6, 2016 | 4:33 PM

The mid-island’s Medical Health Officer would like the city of Nanaimo tweak its clean air policy.

Dr. Paul Hasselback made a presentation to Nanaimo city council recently on health issues, including drug abuse, alcoholism and smoking.

Hasselback says the clean air bylaw should include e-cigarettes or “vaping”.

“Relative to inclusion of all smoke products, at the moment it’s specific to just tobacco, and excludes the issue of vaping,” said Hasselback.

He says that will be addressed in part by provincial regulation, but those regulations aren’t in place yet.

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Hasselback said that vaping is no worse than using cigarettes, but it has become a problem for youth who use them.

“There’s no suggestion that vaping is worse than tobacco, in fact it’s significantly better than tobacco. It is a harm reduction activity for those that are currently using tobacco, but has become a problem as an entry for youth and other people that have access.”

Hasselback told council he wants to see vaping regulated much the same as cigarettes.

“Where there are restrictions on tobacco, those same restrictions be put in place on vaping. It’s worked reasonably well for tobacco, let vaping be restricted to the same locations and areas where tobacco is used.”