B.C. health minister calls for federal action on vaping after study shows surge in teen use

2019-06-21 from cbc.ca

Health Minister Adrian Dix says B.C. is ready to step up with tougher provincial restrictions on vaping following new research showing skyrocketing rates of e-cigarette rates by Canadian teens.

In a news release Thursday, Dix said the province has recommended federal regulatory action on advertising of vaping products, as well as restrictions on nicotine concentrations and sales of flavoured vaping liquids.

"B.C. also stands ready to introduce its own initiatives should federal action be delayed. Obviously, it is our preference to work with other jurisdictions and the federal government on joint action," Dix said.

"In addition, we will be working with youth across B.C. to establish youth-led efforts to curb vaping among young people."

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that teen vaping rose by a whopping 74 per cent in a single year in Canada.

The researchers say an online survey found the number of Canadian participants aged 16 to 19 who reported vaping in the previous month rose from 8.4 per cent in 2017 to 14.6 per cent last year.

Rates of weekly use climbed to 9.3 per cent from 5.2 per cent over the same time period.

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