Vancouver city council has voted to treat electronic cigarettes in the same way as conventional cigarettes by banning them in public places where smoking is already prohibited.

This news comes as the B.C. government revealed it is preparing legislation to regulate the sale of e-cigarettes with the same restrictions as tobacco.

The new Vancouver bylaw, approved by council late Wednesday in an unanimous vote, also prohibits the display or sale of e-cigarettes or related products to minors.

And that’s a good thing, says Dr. Meena Dawar, medical health officer with Vancouver Coastal Health who strongly favoured the ban.

“I think it’s a very progressive move forward in protecting our youth,” Dawar said Thursday.

“It will protect the youth from being exposed to a highly addictive product. The ban is the same as cigarettes and that’s important to us.”

Dawar, who presented a report to council urging the devices be restricted, said e-cigarettes are relatively new and that, while there isn’t a specific link to cancer, vapour can contain some of the same carcinogens that are present in tobacco smoke, some of the similar cytotoxic chemicals and some of the heavy metals.

She noted that Vancouver is the first B.C. municipality to regulate e-cigarettes.

Council also voted to urge TransLink and the park board to make similar amendments to their smoking policies. Cigarettes are no longer permitted in public spaces such restaurant patios, beaches or parks.

Electronic cigarettes use cartridges, usually containing nicotine-infused liquid, attached to a rechargeable battery. When the user inhales, the e-cigarette combines the nicotine with vapour, which is often flavoured. Because there is no combustion, the user does not inhale many of the toxic chemicals contained in a conventional cigarette.

B.C. Health Minister Terry Lake said Thursday the province is preparing legislation to regulate electronic cigarettes, following the advice of the Canadian Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health.

“Because the safety of these devices is certainly uncertain at this point, and we don’t know what chemicals are being inhaled, we want to protect children,” Lake said. “It’s hard to know when the legislation makes it on to the order paper, but we would hope to do that by the spring.”

Coun. Geoff Meggs said Thursday that the new Vancouver bylaw is important because e-cigarettes encourage the resumption of smoking in some people.

“It’s a substance not well understood, but has ingredients that can be dangerous for some people. So it seemed logical to me that we should treat it as a tobacco product and regulate its use.”

Advocates for e-cigarettes often argue that they are effective smoking cessation devices for people who have unsuccessfully tried conventional treatments such as gum, patches and medication, and that they are a less dangerous alternative to smoking.

Sebastien Roy, owner of CEV Vancouver, an e-cigarette store, said Thursday that council’s decision is unreasonable.

While he’s not opposed to banning their sale to minors or restricting them in theatres and restaurants, he said going beyond that is wrong.

“It’s nothing more than the fog you’d see at a concert. There’s no fire or smoke. It’s water vapour. It’s absolutely not the same as cigarettes,” he said.

“In terms of banning them in outdoor parks, why?”

Meanwhile, The Heart and Stroke Foundation wants the federal government to move quickly to regulate electronic cigarettes in much the same way as tobacco products.

Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose said she’s asking the federal standing committee on health to study the potential risks and benefits of e-cigarettes, and to seek the advice of health experts.

The foundation said studies suggest that up to 18 per cent of high school students who have never smoked have used e-cigarettes and 31 per cent have indicated they are interested in using them.

The municipality of York in Ontario and the city of Red Deer in Alberta have also imposed outright bans in public places.

E-cigarettes are banned by the Edmonton public and Catholic school districts and by Winnipeg International Airport.

Toronto city council voted in August to ban the products from city work spaces.

bmorton@vancouversun.com

with a file from Canadian Press

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