Premier Doug Ford has halted new anti-vaping rules so his fledgling Progressive Conservative government can get a handle on the impact of health measures that have affected medical cannabis users.

“The changes to the Smoke Free Ontario Act that were set to come into effect on July 1 … are being paused to give the new government the opportunity to carefully review the new regulations related to vaping,” Ford’s spokesman Simon Jefferies said Wednesday.

Jefferies said the move will allow the new government to “work with the public, experts, and businesses to re-examine the evidence related to vaping as a smoking-cessation tool to ensure that any changes are in the best interests of everyone and protect Ontarians’ health and safety.”

“The current provisions in the Smoke Free Ontario Act and the Electronic Cigarettes Act remain in effect and will continue to be enforced,” he said.

But critics warn the pause has health consequences.

Michael Perley, the director of the Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco, said absent the regulations vaping would effectively be legal on schoolyards.

“Kids could vape on school property as of Sept. 4. Without the pause, they wouldn’t be able to,” Perley said in an interview.

“We have two months to go before school starts and it’s summertime. Can a review be completed in time?” he said.

“So we’re quite concerned that the school year is going to creep up on us and we won’t have the necessary protections in place for kids.”

But Ontario’s vaping industry, which claims there are 900,000 users in the province, hailed Ford’s decision.

“We’re excited that the government led by Premier Doug Ford and new Health Minister Christine Elliott (has) recognized our efforts and (has) paused the implementation of these regulations,” said Maria Papaioannoy-Duic of Vapor Advocates of Ontario.

“We have the utmost confidence that they are going to look at the regulations based on science and not guesswork,” said Papaioannoy-Duic, who argued that vaping is safer than smoking and is an effective way to wean smokers off tobacco.

The Canadian Vaping Association’s president Shaun Casey said “the provincial regulations need to align with Health Canada’s stance on vaping as a less harmful alternative to smoking to ensure the industry is clear on the legal expectations from both levels of government.”

“We are working towards a framework of regulations that keep vapour products accessible to adult smokers looking to support harm-reduction through specialty shops where they can safely sample products and receive training on their devices from experts in an adult-only environment.”

Former premier Kathleen Wynne, whose Liberals were toppled by Ford’s Tories in the June 7 election, introduced tough new laws that banned the smoking and vaping of medicinal cannabis in all enclosed public places, workplaces, and many outdoor areas.

A ban on selling e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 19 took effect on Jan. 1, 2016, but other measures were to take effect last Sunday.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath accused Ford of acting by fiat.

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“No one voted for business to be conducted in secret, behind closed doors,” said Horwath.

“And I’m sure no one voted to have a premier that would listen to influencers and lobbyists while shutting out everyday people affected by the laws. Ford seems to believe the public doesn’t deserve information about what he’s up to and why, and that’s wrong.”

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