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Despite all the clear advantages of the e-cigarette revolution, governments have dug in their heels, seemingly determined to bring it to a screeching halt

Indeed, scientific studies confirm that there is virtually no risk to bystanders from secondhand vapour, unlike secondhand tobacco smoke.

The vapers I met were former tobacco smokers themselves. E-cigarettes had let them wean themselves off tobacco. Thousands (perhaps millions) of people are doing the same. This was more news to gladden my heart. I hate paying taxes to support the huge medical expenses caused by tobacco-related cancers and chronic diseases — some $14 billion in Canada in 2012. It’s not primarily the nicotine that harms smokers; it’s the tar and other chemical byproducts from burnt tobacco.

Another pleasant surprise is that e-cigarettes are actually cheaper than tobacco for vapers to get the same nicotine dose. This may be because governments impose heavy taxes on tobacco products (about $7.3 billion per year in Canada), but haven’t yet geared up to extract similar amounts from the nicotine addicts who have migrated to vapourizers. But for the addicts themselves, it is great news. A disproportionate number of smokers are concentrated in the poorer segments of society. If they can save money by substituting vaping for smoking, then they’ll have more money for other things. And if vaping helps them kick the habit entirely, their finances will improve significantly.

But despite all these clear advantages of the vaping revolution, governments have dug in their heels, seemingly determined to bring it to a screeching halt. Major cities including Vancouver and Calgary have adopted bylaws discouraging vaping; New Brunswick has had legislation hindering vaping since July, 2015, and Ontario’s discouraging legislation will be implemented on Jan. 1, 2016.