Regina vape shop owner worried about possible upcoming regulations

A Regina vape shop owner is worried possible new restrictions could force people back to smoking cigarettes, along with destroying the industry.

Health Canada is considering a limit on how much nicotine can be in vaping products. Vape advocates have speculated that a ban on flavours could also be in the works.

Mike Smider is the owner of Queen City Vapes in Regina. He said his business wouldn’t be able to continue on if those policies go through.

“With respect to the flavour ban, that would be devastating. We would essentially be limited to tobacco and flavourless, possibly mint and menthol (flavours), which no shop is going to be able to survive on. The majority of adult smokers that we cater to are not vaping (those flavours), they’re after fruits and desserts and all sorts of stuff,” he said in an interview.

He’s also concerned that this could lead to higher cigarette smoking rates.

“I’ve heard it from the mouths of lots of these folks that (have said), ‘If I’m forced to be vaping tobacco flavour, I might as well just smoke.’”

The regulations on nicotine levels were published in the Canada Gazette. The agency hasn’t yet made a decision on whether to put those regulations in place or to put forward a framework for a possible flavour ban.

Still, it said regulations would be aimed at keeping vapes out of the hands of children.

“There has been a rapid increase in youth vaping in Canada. Young persons are being exposed to vaping product-related harms, including those related to nicotine exposure, which can result in a dependence on nicotine and an increased risk of tobacco use,” it reads.

Smider disagrees: he believes that a nicotine cap or flavour ban would only punish adults.

“We don’t want kids vaping either, obviously … We are doing our best to keep this out of the hands of youth … (But) kids are going to get their hands on whatever it is they want, be it alcohol, cannabis, vaping products, cigarettes, you name it,” he argued.

The health effects of vaping have been debated for years. However, Health Canada agrees with vape advocates on at least one point.

“For persons who smoke, the best thing they can do to improve their health is to quit smoking. However, persons who smoke can also reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke by completely switching to vaping,” the proposed nicotine regulations read.