Canada - Ban on nicotine-loaded e-cigarettes aggressively enforced

[S.J.B.]

Ban on nicotine-loaded e-cigarettes aggressively enforced while some anti-smoking advocates call for legalization
Tom Blackwell
National Post
January 21st, 2014

Even as some public-health advocates call for legalization, Health Canada has been vigorously applying its controversial ban on nicotine-loaded e-cigarettes, ordering scores of businesses to stop selling the devices and telling Internet providers and credit card companies to cut off the companies.

The regulator has investigated 250 complaints about sales of electronic cigarettes in the past four years and issued cease-and-desist letters to most of the businesses involved, said Leslie Meerburg, a spokeswoman.

The enforcement attempts come amid a spirited debate among public-health experts about whether e-cigarettes risk encouraging real smoking — or represent an effective stand-in for tobacco, minus the life-threatening side effects.

E-cigarette businesses and some anti-smoking advocates argue the government should be moving toward legalizing and regulating the devices, rather than “bullying” the retailers.

“We have never seen any product, nicotine-replacement therapy product, that has generated so much interest on behalf of the smokers. … This is so amazing,” said François Damphousse, a researcher with the Non-smokers Rights Association, one of Canada’s most influential tobacco-control organizations.

Read the full story here.

 

[Thou]

How is this a priority?

Oh that's right powerful tobacco interests.

The greater question I'm wondering is why is Canada seeing this vigorous draconian action and not its neighbor to the south? There must be a specific answer, one I'm far too lazy to search for...

 

[TheRapperGoneBad]

This is outrageous. People are going to smoke why not allow them a seemingly safer alternative.

^ spot on, money. Money makes this world go round not care or concern for another human being. As long as every body gets their pay check who cares what lives are lost in the process.

I just bought a nice e cig today. And I must say its a much better alternative to the cigarettes in have been smoking on a daily basis.

 

[_DankOpiAmp_]

It's a grotesque abomination of reason that they pretend it encourages smoking. They simply want to safeguard the billions in taxes they make. All of the "approved" anti-smoking products are so overpriced they keep raking in the cash while e-cigarettes are the only ones that mimic smoking while delivering adequate nicotine. The nicotine inhaler product was not refillable and gave you 1/40 of the nicotine of a drag on a cigarette.

 

[poledriver]

So these e cigs are totally illegal in Canada? I'm not sure of the law on them here in Aus.

Even as some public-health advocates call for legalization, Health Canada has been vigorously applying its controversial ban on nicotine-loaded e-cigarettes, ordering scores of businesses to stop selling the devices and telling Internet providers and credit card companies to cut off the companies.

Wont people just be able to order from other places in the world, like USA or wherever and have them shipped in? It's going to be a bit hard banning all the sites and asking ISP's and CC companies to restrict it all isnt it?

 

[Meso1988]

I see, they just want more money on cigs. I guess that's corruption?

 

[S.J.B.]

So these e cigs are totally illegal in Canada?

No, they're perfectly legal to possess and there are no actual laws against selling them. Health Canada just likes to make up its own interpretations of the law and harass people over it.

 

[Thou]

What charges do they bring IE: what interpretations of the law do they use to legislate against legal, albeit cavalier, practices?

 

[opi8]

Ecigs are legal in Australia, but nicotine isn't. So instead of buying nicotine refills from a reputable Australian dealer with quality control/standards and consumer protection laws, Aussies (and now it looks like Canadians) are forced to by their nicotine from overseas where the quality control may be inferior or even non-existent. That's logical, just like the drug war.

 

[PsychedelicHaze]

Wow Canada being more greedy than the US? Surprised. I can see the US doing this soon..possibly.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

They should sell nicotine in ampule form. Damn tobacco industry.

 

[InvisibleEye]

It's a grotesque abomination of reason that they pretend it encourages smoking. They simply want to safeguard the billions in taxes they make. All of the "approved" anti-smoking products are so overpriced they keep raking in the cash while e-cigarettes are the only ones that mimic smoking while delivering adequate nicotine. The nicotine inhaler product was not refillable and gave you 1/40 of the nicotine of a drag on a cigarette.

Exactly. It's a cynical calculation to safeguard their revenue.
This article made me angry.

 

[TheLostBoys]

Never thought Canada would get harsher in their laws than the USA in this department......then again, maybe they are taking notes from us.

 

[S.J.B.]

What charges do they bring IE: what interpretations of the law do they use to legislate against legal, albeit cavalier, practices?

No one has been charged, Health Canada has just been sending warnings to vendors (some of whom simply ignore them) and seizing product that is crossing the border.

 

[my3rdeye]

Health Canada sucks. They are often used as a back door to seize drugs that haven't been banned. It would be like the FDA seizing the newest unbanned RC and treating it like an untested perscription pill.