EXCLUSIVE: Alberta to ban vapes if new bill from UCP MLA passes

The Alberta Legislature was quietly given notice of Bill 208, the Vaping Reduction Act, in early April, and MLA Chelsae Petrovic is expected to speak publicly about the contents.

Legislative Assembly of Alberta | Flickr

Juno News has learned that Chelsae Petrovic, a United Conservative Party MLA, is introducing legislation to ban single-use vaping products in Alberta.

Petrovic, formerly a nurse, has not responded to Juno News’ questions about the legislation.

The Alberta Legislature was quietly given notice of Bill 208, the Vaping Reduction Act, in early April, and Petrovic is expected to speak publicly about the contents of her legislation in the coming days.

Juno News has not seen a copy of the legislation but has spoken to a half dozen sources, including UCP staffers, MLAs, and cabinet members. Many expressed concern that the bill was at odds with the expectations Albertans had of them and may run contrary to public health data.

Health Canada released a report in January estimating that 49 per cent of Canadians who quit smoking cigarettes used either a vaping device, e-cigarette, tobacco-free nicotine pouch, or other “nicotine replacement products” such as gum or patches.

The report notes that among Canadians who successfully quit smoking cigarettes in 2024, an estimated 21 per cent used vapes or e-cigarettes, 25 per cent used nicotine replacements, and three per cent used nicotine pouches.

The study stated that approximately 300,000 Canadians who smoked in 2023 quit in 2024, meaning 63,000 Canadians successfully quit smoking while using a vape product or e-cigarette.

The Consumer’s Choice Centre, an independent pro-freedom consumer advocacy group, is applauding the news and urging Canada to seize the moment and drop regulations that make these products less accessible to Canadians.

“Health Canada’s report is definitive proof that vaping is an incredibly useful tool for Canadians who are trying to quit smoking for good,” David Clement, the group’s North American affairs manager, said in a statement. “Prior to legal vaping, Health Canada estimated that Canada could reduce its smoking rate to 8.1% by 2035, but that with legal vaping, the 2035 target is now 5.1%. This is a huge win.”

Clement told Juno News in an email that multiple public health bodies in Canada and England now say vaping is 95 per cent less harmful than smoking, and the main concern about youth use is assuaged by the 50 per cent drop in youth use since 2019.

It remains unclear whether Petrovic’s legislation will receive support from Alberta’s governing caucus.