Government launches survey on how tackle ‘alarming’ surge in vaping

EDMONTON The Alberta government is going to tax vaping products, it announced in Thursday’s provincial budget. Now, it’s looking for ideas on how it should do that, according to a Friday news release.

The government on Friday launched a public survey to hear about potential gaps in the Tobacco and Smoking Reduction Act, how they can keep potentially harmful products out of children’s hands and thoughts on any impacts on businesses.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro has also tapped Calgary-klein MLA Jeremy Nixon with hosting November meetings in six Alberta cities to gather input.

“I encourage all Albertans to provide their opinions and ideas on how we can better address public health concerns related to these products and, in particular, tackle the alarming surge in vaping among young Albertans,” Nixon said in a statement. “Currently, the act doesn’t explicitly address vaping, so thoughtful and timely action is required.”

Also up for discussion is regulation of tobacco-like products, including herbal shisha in hookahs or water pipes.

Nixon said the government hopes to introduce legislation next year to modernize the act.

Thursday’s budget said the review will also explore best approaches for taxing vaping products. The intent is to discourage young people from vaping, not rake in extra dough, the budget documents said.

Similar policy in the U.S. produced revenue of less than $10 million, the budget said.

LEGISLATE POLICE-CHECK PRIVACY: COMMISSIONER

Alberta’s privacy commissioner has told the justice minister she thinks Alberta needs legislation about the privacy of criminal record checks and vulnerable sector checks.

On Friday, commissioner Jill Clayton released a copy of a letter she sent Monday to Justice Minister and Solicitor General Doug Schweitzer. She said a Court of Queen’s Bench judge recently upheld her decision that Edmonton police broke privacy law when they used a person’s information to run a police information check and vulnerable sector check, then sent that information to the person’s employer.

The judge said Alberta has a “legislative void” in this area and police could get sued for privacy breaches.

In these checks, police search databases to locate records of criminal convictions or whether a person has received a pardon for a past sexual offence. Some employers require a vulnerable sector check for jobs volunteering or working with children or other people at risk.

Citing examples in B.C., Ontario and Manitoba, Clayton said the privacy of the checks are an issue across the country.

Clayton said unresolved issues with the checks include “unfairness, exercise of discretion, consistency, over-disclosure, over-collection by employers, consent and accuracy.”

Procedures adopted in 2017 by the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police weren’t adequate because they led to privacy breaches, she said. She recommended Alberta introduce legislation similar to that in Ontario, which spells out when police can run the checks and what information they can and can’t disclose.

On Friday, Schweitzer’s press secretary, Jonah Mosezon, said in an email the police chiefs’ association has since adopted and updated new procedures for checks.

“The Department of Justice and Solicitor General will review the contents of the letter to determine if any further steps are necessary,” he said.