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.
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.
Chelsae go find some other issue that is more important than your personal dislike of e'cigarettes the survey results on vaping overwhelmingly show that vaping is beneficial in aiding people to quit smoking, perhaps you prefer the tobacco industry over vaping!
Robin the Rebel
Petrovic is a Bobble head! Not a RN!
What kind of "health professional " would put forward a bill to stop a product that has helped so many Canadians stop smoking toxic cigarettes!! Was she also behind making vape products so expensive that it is almost the same price as cigarettes?? The Alberta govt has done nothin to cut food prices, cut gas prices, and have increased the cost of vaping. Not what I want from government!