E-cigarette regulations proposed by Montreal public health

Montreal public health is calling for more regulations surrounding e-cigarettes.

• E-cigarette ban for minors proposed in U.S.

• Montrealers weigh in on e-cigarette debate

The agency has released five different recommendations for law makers.

E-cigarettes, which are unregulated in Canada,are increasingly popular among smokers trying to quit.

But critics say the lack of control mean that e-cigarettes risk introducing a new generation of young people to smoking, when little is known about the long-term health impact of the products.

The recommended sanctions include:

• Marketing e-cigarettes as a Canadian tobacco product.
• Set standards forminimum quality to make the cigarettes as safe as possible.
• Making e-cigarettes subject to the Tobacco Act, adding limitations for advertising and sponsorship.
• Only recommending e-cigarettes as an aid for quittingsmoking under the supervision of a doctor.
• Makinge-cigarettes available for smokers trying to quit before making them available to everyone else in Canada.

Executive director of Physicians for a Smoke Free CanadaCynthia Callardsaid the recommendations are in line with many of their concerns.

"The potential benefits of these products, that I think are widely acknowledged, are not realizedand the downfalls are exacerbated. It's just apoor strategy," she said.

She said e-cigarettes are a real option for people who want to stop smoking, but more needs to be done to prevent them from drawing in non-smokers.