Canadians have been pressured and restricted by hefty regulation on all electronic cigarette products imposed by Health Canada. Importing e-liquid from the United States has been ceased and the border is essentially locked down for all tobacco substitute products. Health Canada has been sending threatening letters to all electronic cigarette vendors in the country and as a response, most of them are standing together in resisting the federal department’s request close down shop.
Although the threats to cease and desist are from the federal government, and can easily be enforced against retailers, the business owners have continued to expand and increase in numbers. Attempting to make their voice heard over media and internet is also part of the strategy to fight against e-cigarette bans.
As with any prohibition comes the common problem of contraband and illegal smuggling over the borders. Canadian Border Services reported seizing tobacco substitutes including e-cigarettes and e-liquids containing nicotine in the past year already. Even scarier is those who revert to producing the products from their own homes. With no safety measures put in place, it was quick for us to see why Canadian prohibition of electronic cigarettes is really backwards and will hurt smokers looking for the alternative as well as taxpayer’s money being wastefully spent.
e-Steam Canada is one of the biggest Canadian chains of vaping devices right now. Having started in 2012, the company quickly expanded to 14 additional locations in Ontario alone. The company reported having no intention to slow down expansion or stop retail sales as requested by the federal health agency.
E-Steam founder, Martin Lacombe was inspired to start the company after he quit smoking overnight due to trying an e-cig. Having smoked for 25 years before that, he was convinced e-cigs we’re so important that he closed his trucking business down to start his new venture. He was stated saying the following to press;
“We know the criticism of the industry: that we’re signing up people and creating a problem, not solving a problem, and I will scream from the rooftop saying that is absolutely not true.”
With lack of regulation overseeing markets, entrepreneurs are left to their own guidelines and policies. Lacombe advised his policy in retail is to never sell to minors or non-smokers. This is not exactly ideal and definitely not what the retail market wants. It leaves the business owners looming under a cloud of uncertainty.
The challenge continues as lack of information surrounds vaping health issues. More and more studies are helping shift the common consensus and word is slowly spreading. Even though electronic cigarettes have grown extremely fast in the United States, due to Canada’s reserved stance on the government’s end, most of the 5 million smokers in the country still have not heard of or don’t know much about electronic cigarettes.
We believe it will take more time for the first regulated electronic cigs to start being sold internationally for all government health officials to start paying more attention as to how to properly and safely control the products so that all can benefit from healthier smoke-free lives with smokeless cigarettes. Canada needs to catch up and fast.