The following is a guest post by Cort Smith, a genuine Canadian. Even though Canadians are totally nice and honest folk, remember all opinions are solely those of the author. Canadian or not, you too can pen a guest article, just let me know.
Are eCigs Banned in Canada?
“Banned in Canada”. That’s the headline and message of many an article concerning electronic cigarettes on the internet these days and in mainstream media these days.
It’s a misleading headline in a number of ways. Mainly due to the fact that electronic cigarettes are not banned in Canada! You can buy them in the liquor store. You can buy them at the 7/11. By now, every major city has at least one vaping store where you can purchase eCigs 7 days a week. Don’t get me wrong, electronic cigarettes are nowhere near as mainstream as they are in the U.S.A., not yet. But people are using them, and it is a quickly growing market.
So why does the mainstream media and general public continue to get it wrong? Check out the following statement from Health Canada, the health arm of the Canadian Government :
“Health Canada is advising Canadians not to purchase or use electronic smoking products, as these products may pose health risks and have not been fully evaluated for safety, quality and efficacy by Health Canada.”
Statements like that are one reason many Canadians believe eCigs are illegal. “Advising” is hardly “banning”. But the real confusion comes when we get to the topic of nicotine. According to Health Canada, the sale and import of eCigs and eJuice containing nicotine is illegal. Their official stance on the topic :
“Persons importing, advertising or selling electronic cigarette products in Canada must stop doing so immediately.”
Thing is, vendors haven’t stopped. In fact, the stance of electronic cigarette vendors in the Great White North is that Health Canada can stick it. Ok, maybe that’s not their official stance. But they certainly don’t think that Health Canada has a legal leg to stand on. And it appears they may be right, at least for now. Vapers are lined up out the door at their local vaping shops, buying nicotine eJuice and no one is being slapped in handcuffs. Not only that, but there are now a number of Canadian companies making eJuice containing nicotine, meaning Canadians no longer have to order it from south of the border, and risk having their shipments seized by customs.
eCigs Banned in Canada? Hardly.
So for now, the legalities of electronic cigarettes are one giant grey area. While there is little agreement as to whether or not sales of e-cigarettes with nicotine should be allowed, consumers do have individuals and organizations that are going to bat for them. There is a large scale support to change laws and regulations with regards to the consumption of e-cigarettes. With a little more pushing and a little less arguing, Canadian consumers may see a significant change in laws in the near future.
