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By James Peters

Vaping Regulations

MLA Stone says NDP government ‘kicking the can down the road’ by failing to strengthen vaping regulations

Jun 20, 2019 | 5:34 PM

KAMLOOPS — The MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson says the NDP government is ‘punting’ the issue of stronger vaping regulations.

In a news release issued Thursday, Health Minister Adrian Dix acknowledged a report from the British Medical Journal, showing vaping among Canadian teens has increased by 74 per cent in the past year.

Dix said his ministry is recommending federal regulatory action, but that the province “stands ready to introduce its own initiatives should federal action be delayed.”

Todd Stone raised a private member’s bill during the spring session, calling on the government to make series of legislative changes to make it harder for children to purchase and use vaping products.

At the time, Dix appeared receptive to Stone’s proposed changes. But after it passed first reading unanimously, the government did not call Stone’s bill for further debate.

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“That was disappointing,” Stone told CFJC Today Thursday. “But what I did expect was that the provincial government was going to accelerate their work so that we can see some tangible actions take place very quickly. It would appear that that’s not going to be the case.”

In the news release, Dix says the government would prefer working with other jurisdictions and the federal government rather than setting out regulations on its own.

Stone says, with a fall election looming, it’s highly unlikely Ottawa will have any regulations ready for the start of the upcoming school year.

“Waiting for the federal government to develop a broader set of regulations to keep these products out of the hands of our kids could take months, if not years,” said Stone. “There are many aspects of this which the province could take action on today, and that’s what we’re calling on the government to do.

“There are steps that Adrian Dix could take today, some of which I understand wouldn’t even require legislative action, but rather regulatory changes that he could bring to cabinet that he could take today that would put in place much tougher controls here in British Columbia in time for the September school season.

“We need the province of British Columbia to step up today and take action to keep these vaping products out of the hands of our kids,” Stone added.