New Manitoba e-cigarette rules to ban vaping in public places

Manitoba is making moves to limit the sale and use of e-cigarettes in the province.

Healthy living minister Deanne Crothers announced new legislation on Monday that will prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, limit advertising and promotion and ban their use in most indoor, public places.

• E-cigarettes could save hundreds of millions of lives, scientists tell WHO​
• E-cigarettes need strict rules, doctors tell WHO

Crothers said there are many unanswered questions about the safety of e-cigarettes, and the province wants to minimize any possible health risks to children or bystanders.

The new legislation calls for a ban in indoor public places like schools, libraries, hospitals, malls, restaurants, indoor workplaces and cars where kids under 16 are present.

It also calls for e-cigarette advertising and promotion to be regulated the same way as other tobacco products.

The Manitoba Lung Association's Margaret Bernhardt-Lowdon called the legislation a good start.

"I love the fact they are banning them in public places where children are present," said Berhardt-Lowdon. "We don't know what people are puffing in or what they're puffing out."

But vaping isn't banned in all indoor spaces. It will be allowed in 

• Bars and casinos
• Other adult-only establishments
• Where e-cigarettes are predominately sold
• Designated smoking/vaping rooms in hotels and group living facilities

Bernhardt-Lowdon said she worries how that might influence young people.

"I know that a lot of people do use them to quit smoking and a lot of people love them, but I worry it re-normalizes tobacco use if you see someone using e-cigarettes," she said. "It's kind of like smoking, in a way."

Manitoba is one of several provinces working to regulate the sale of e-cigarettes. Quebec has already banned vaping in public and banned sales to minors, and Ontario has announced plans for similar legislation.