FEATURES
OBJECTION !
At the end of his tether , a Canadian vape shop owner launches a legal campaign against Nova Scotia ’ s stringent regulations .
Words : Jordan Millar
Canadian vape shop owner William MacEachern wants his day in court . After watching Nova Scotia ’ s overbearing and damaging regulations drive a growing number of vapers back to cigarettes , MacEachern decided to take matters into his own hands .
The co-owner of Dartmouth-based Cloud Factory Vape Shop filed for an injunction against the province ’ s latest vaping restrictions , leading the legal campaign ‘ not out of choice , but out of necessity .’ When the injunction was thrown out , without so much as a formal hearing , he decided to act . He said : “ I couldn ’ t just sit by and watch our industry slowly die off while people just seemed to accept it , so I had to grab the reins and take action .” Nova Scotia recently became the first Canadian province to ban the sale of flavoured e-liquids , introducing a tax increase on all vaping products shortly thereafter . However , critics argue that the regulations , which are set to combat Canada ’ s ‘ youth vaping epidemic ’, fail to consider the science . A Yale study has revealed that the use of flavoured products doesn ’ t increase the likelihood of youth vaping uptake . It also highlighted that adults who use flavoured e-liquids “ were more likely to subsequently quit ” than those who don ’ t . Consumer advocacy groups , alongside the local vaping community , were quick to support the injunction , pointing out that smokers could struggle to switch under the new restrictions .
The Canadian Vape Association ( CVA ) in particular has offered its full support , arguing that the regulations are a clear violation of the rights and liberties of vapers . It said : “ By viewing nicotine addiction as a choice , smokers are dehumanised and left behind by poor policy . “ Governments must acknowledge that in Canada all citizens are equal under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms . Vaping policy must respect the rights
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By viewing nicotine addiction as a choice , smokers are dehumanised and left behind by
“ poor policy .
of all citizens as the lives of adult smokers quite literally depend on it .” Despite tireless efforts , the campaign was brought to a grinding halt , with Justice Denise Boudreau denying the request for an injunction . In response , MacEachern said : “ We fought tooth and nail to stop these regulations , so it was a slap in the face to be shut down so quickly . ' Nothing we said was taken into consideration , never mind taken seriously … they told us : ‘ We ’ ve already heard you , we don ’ t need to hear it again .’ “ What kind of democracy won ’ t even let you say your piece ?” But just as quickly as he was knocked down , MacEachern was back up again , and is now taking the issue directly to court so the arguments can be heard in public . “ We are going to trial … but it will take around nine-months … it ’ s disgusting that we have to wait so long ,” he said . MacEachern has called on the support of ‘ as many wholesalers and distributors as would answer the phone ’, urging them to put their money where their mouth is and help fund the legal battle . He has even launched a GoFundMe page – Save Vaping in Nova Scotia – which has quickly gained traction and is closing in on its $ 130,000 target . “ There are big donations coming from these huge companies , but there ’ s also a lot of people reaching into their own pockets and contributing 50 or 100 bucks . “ It ’ s not like with corporations who could just write it off , they are making a personal sacrifice which was amazing to see .” MacEachern is also encouraging advocates to pick up their placards , dust of their megaphones and take to the streets in peaceful protest . His last rally saw upwards of 100 Nova Scotians venture out into sub-zero temperatures to voice their concerns over the controversial regulations . MacEachern and his supporters hope the litigation will enable adult smokers to use vaping as a stepping stone to complete nicotine independence .
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