Town to look into vaping rules and minors

by Lucie Roy
Morinville News Correspondent

At the Nov. 14 Council meeting, Deputy Mayor Stephen Dafoe spoke on the gap in rules regarding the sale of vaping materials to minors.

Dafoe mentioned he has had two residents express concerns about vaping materials sold to children.

Dafoe said while Federal Bill S5, currently making its way to Royal Assent, would make it illegal to sell e-cigarette devices and fluids to anyone under the age of 18, it is currently not illegal to do so currently. Dafoe wants Administration to look at putting something in the Town’s existing bylaws to fill the gap until legislation passes.

“Like cigarettes, proxy sales – that is an adult buying for youth – will occur. That is beyond the control of anyone other than a business owner’s own due diligence,” Dafoe said. “As it currently sits there is no provincial or federal law preventing a vape shop from selling vaping materials to minors.”

Dafoe said he has spoken to both vape shop owners and they have assured him they do not sell to minors. However, while Bill S5 will receive Royal Assent within next three to four months, municipalities have a loophole in that it is not illegal to sell those materials.

“In the absence of provincial and federal rules, I want to ensure that we have something in place,” Dafoe said, before putting forward a motion to have Administration come back to Council Dec. 12 with some idea of where they could put something of that nature into the bylaws. Potential bylaw placement could include the land use bylaw, business license bylaw, or community standards bylaw.

Dafoe’s motion received unanimous Council support.

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