Ontario cracks down on e-cigarettes, flavoured tobacco

The Liberal government is expanding existing anti-smoking legislation to include a ban on flavoured tobacco products and new rules for e-cigarettes, which were previously unregulated.

Associate Health Minister Dipika Damerla announced the amendments to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act at a news conference Monday morning.

Damerla will introduce legislation to ban the sale of flavoured tobacco products, including menthol, and to consider e-cigarettes equal to cigarettes under the law.

Damerla stressed the measures were intended to stop young people from taking up smoking.

“As you can see, this is clearly marketed towards kids,” Damerla said, holding up a package of a watermelon-flavoured tobacco product alongside a package of watermelon-flavoured candy.

“Flavoured tobacco has been the latest marketing tool for tobacco companies to appeal to youth to create that next generation of smokers.”

She cited research that shows flavoured tobacco is a gateway to addiction.

In 2012-2013, almost half of all young smokers in Ontario used flavoured tobacco, Damerla said.

The amendments will also increase fines for people who sell tobacco to youths, making the fines the highest in Canada.

“There’s currently no regulation of e-cigarettes and we know that they appeal to young people because they’re cheaper and they’re easily available.”

She said right now a 12-year-old could walk into a store and buy an e-cigarette.

Under the new legislation, e-cigarettes will be treated as cigarettes, making it illegal to sell them to minors, smoke or sell where tobacco is banned, and advertise them where they are sold.

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