Vape ban exempts shops
People can continue to vape in Saskatoon e-cigarette shops despite new legislation that will ban the practice in all other public places where smoking is prohibited.
It’s a victory for Vapor Jedi owner Mitch Tarala, who told city councillors on Monday that vapers’ safety would be jeopardized if his staff was banned from using e-cigarettes in-store to show customers how to properly use them.
“Some of the devices don’t work with each other properly if you don’t know what you’re doing,” he said.
“If you put the wrong battery in the wrong device, you could have problems.”
He said incidents of exploding e-cigarettes could rise if e-cigarette shop staff were not able to demonstrate safe e-cigarette use to new customers.
The ban on vaping in public places except e-cigarette shops was passed by council Monday. As of Jan. 1, vaping will be prohibited in city-owned parks, pools and playgrounds; city buildings; childcare facilities; schools; public transit; casinos; restaurants; and private clubs.
Exempting e-cigarette shops from this ban runs contrary to a recommendation from Jennifer Miller, vice-president of health promotion for the Lung Association of Saskatchewan.
She told councillors that secondhand vapour could be hazardous to e-cigarette shop employees.
“Let’s consider workplace safety and put public health first,” she told councillors.
Council voted 9-1 to exempt ecigarette shops from the vaping ban. Only Coun. Pat Lorje voted against the exemption.
“I feel very sad that we’re even having to have this conversation,” said Lorje, who described ecigarettes as “the last gasp of the nicotine industry” to deliver their product to people.