Vapour lounges have been popping up a little bit everywhere in America. Canada has been keeping up as well, with their own hip new electronic cigarette vapour bar lounge areas, dedicated for e-cig and personal vaporizer users to come and get some downtime and vape freely and comfortably. Just last week, downtown Burlington, Ontario got their own newly opened lounge called Cold Turkey Vapour Bar & Lounge.
Just at the same time, Hamilton’s public health board is calling to control and possibly ban electronic cigarettes in the city. Opinions on the safety of e-cigs is still very much divided in Canada and at this time no regulations are in place, but many steps are being taken to put pressure on Health Canada to start sanctioning new laws around these products.
The name of the new vapour lounge is suggestive to some, but we think it’s simply a catchy name. When co-owner Vincent Abou-Jaoude was asked about electronic cigarettes being a cessation device for smokers, he said that e-cigs did not present a solution to quit smoking, but a transitioning device to facilitate anyone who is really serious about quitting for good.
“In my opinion, and it’s my opinion only, it’s a much healthier alternative to traditional cancer sticks,” he added. Adding that this is his humble opinion is the way to be politically correct, as although it remains a grey area, no one is attempting to make health claims.
Vincent Abou-Jaoude said that electronic cigarettes helped him quit smoking completely. He mentioned how he first tried e-cigs 4 years ago and was left unsatisfied with the quality and experience from those available devices. As time went by, he got more into it and started creating his own e-liquid blends and getting good reviews on them.
Abou-Jaoude and co-owner, partner Peter Kardas now offer their own collection of e-liquids at their lounge which you can sample for free. Also offered are e-cigarettes, personal vaporizers and accessories. The company has been selling online for just over a year now and reviews had been so good, the decision to open a physical location was a no brainer.
Many residents and Hamilton city officials do not agree with the current system, advising that these businesses are operating with no regulations or by-laws to follow. With a 2 billion dollar industry that is projected to surpass 10 billion in just 3 years, it’s important to ensure safety and quality.
Cold Turkey co-owners welcome new regulations advising they are needed for having a solid foundation. However, the concern is that they end up being regulated as tobacco, no one in the industry wants to be attached to tobacco and smoking, as these are smokeless cigarette devices, and require their own category.