London Health Officials Find More Young People Are Vaping

London's government officials are being asked what more they can do at the municipal level to combat the phenomenon of youth vaping.<\/p>

The Community and Protective Services Committee heard from youth advisors from Western University's Human Environment Analysis Lab and Chris Mackie, a public health worker in the city, at a meeting this Tuesday.<\/p>

Mackie told the committee that the number of young people vaping has increased by about 75% over the past year, marking the first increase in youth smoking in London since the 1980s.<\/p>

He believes there is a connection between the two.
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"When vaping first entered the Canadian market a few years ago, many of us hoped it would be a useful tool for quitting smoking. There were concerns that once people became addicted to nicotine, it might become a substitute for smoking cigarettes. At that time, no one anticipated the serious harm associated with vaping that we now see, including sometimes fatal lung disease cases."<\/p>

Mackie added that tobacco companies are using what he calls "strategic tactics" to get their products into the hands of young people.<\/p>

"Tobacco companies are now requiring corner stores to sell their e-cigarette products. They say that if you want to sell our tobacco products, you must also sell our e-cigarette products as part of your contractual obligations," Mackie said, noting that his 10-year-old daughter already knows the names of two e-cigarette brands.<\/p>

Currently, there are 110 e-cigarette franchise stores in the city.<\/p>

He stated that while e-cigarettes do not pose the same long-term issues as smoking, the short-term risks can be severe, especially when considering additives like THC.
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In September, Mackie and the Middlesex-London Health Unit reported the first case of a vaping-related illness in Canada.<\/p>

The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) published an article in November detailing the case of a teenager in London who was hospitalized for 47 days due to lung disease.<\/p>

Doctors indicated that the unidentified boy's condition resembled what is known as "popcorn lung," a condition typically seen in factory workers forced to inhale toxic chemicals.<\/p>

Mackie stated that aside from banning vaping in already smoke-free areas, there is little the city government can do.<\/p>

"From the perspective of banning vaping, we are actually in a very good position, as it is very close to where smoking is prohibited. This is the primary responsibility of local government," he added, stating that the most influential policy changes must come from provincial and federal governments to restrict or completely eliminate e-cigarette advertising.<\/p>

Starting January 1, 2020, the provincial government will ban advertising and promotional activities for e-cigarette products in gas stations, convenience stores, and other locations.<\/p>

Since Ontario became the first province to have such a disease reporting system, two new cases related to vaping have emerged in Woodstock and Burlington. (Original by Amanda)<\/p>