On June 2, Health Minister Tyler Shandro announced Bill 19, the Tobacco and Smoking Reduction Amendment Act, following a review of the Tobacco and Smoking Reduction Act led by MLA Jeremy Nixon.
Summary of Bill 19:
- Prohibits the sale, possession and use of vapour products by anyone under 18, which aligns with the province’s age of majority.
- Prohibits the use of vapour product in schools, hospitals, and other public spaces.
- Prohibits advertising in gas stations and convenience stores, to align with tobacco advertising regulations and federal vapour product regulations.
- Restricts where vapour products can be sold.
- Establishes the authority to consider flavour restrictions at a later date.
The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) commends the actions taken by the Government of Alberta to protect youth. “Vapour products are harm reduction tools intended for adult smokers. We see this legislation as having great potential to address youth uptake while supporting adult smokers that have chosen vaping to reduce their harm” said Darryl Tempest, Executive Director of the CVA. “We commend the Government of Alberta for developing this balanced legislation. As a next step, to address the continuing concerns of stakeholders and parents, we call on this government to limit the sale of vapour products to age restricted specialty vape shops when developing the final regulations. Regulations in both Ontario and BC have limited the sale of most vapour products to adult-only access specialty shops, as it is understood that controlling access points is a crucial element in reducing youth uptake,” concluded Tempest.
Darryl Tempest, CVA – Stockhouse – June 4, 2020.
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