Nova Scotia has implemented a ban on flavoured e-liquid that will take effect April 2020. With this news, our own Minister of Health, Christine Elliott has shared concerns of the spike in youth vaping. Ontario is considering implementing the same ban. Yes, youth vaping has spiked incredibly, and having flavours of candies, confectioneries and drinks, are more appealing to youth over flavourless and tobacco flavours. However, these flavours are also more appealing to adults, and help many adults make the switch from smoking cigarettes to vaping.

As a young female adult, I do not believe that banning flavours will decrease youth vaping, it will affect the entire vaping population. Many vapers will go back to smoking cigarettes or will purchase their liquid online elsewhere. I believe this ban will back step the progress of vaping incredibly resulting in, a spike in cigarette smokers, spike in youth cigarette smokers, loss of jobs, closure of businesses, increase in smoking related health illnesses as well as a large portion of the population being angry and resentful towards our Provincial leaders. 

I believe there are many other options for decreasing the amount of minors vaping, that should be considered over this unreasonable ban, for example, limiting vape products to ONLY be sold in Specialty Vape Shops, where minors are not allowed to enter. Even reducing some of the higher nicotine strengths.

Minors will always find a way to access controlled substances, we offer flavoured over-the-counter medications that kids take for fun, flavoured alcohol, even cigarettes and cannabis, nicotine vaping is one of many. Vaping is 95% less harmful than cigarettes. And I would much rather our up and coming generation be vapers over smokers.