Lack of bylaws cause businesses to enact own e-cigarette bans

Edmonton Northlands is banning e-cigarettes or vaporizers from all of its buildings, including Rexall Place and the Expo Centre.

The organization made the move in a regulatory vacuum. The City of Edmonton hasn’t updated its bylaws to ban indoor use of the devices.

Northlands spokeswoman Jennifer Sheehan said the decision was made to eliminate confusion.

"Guests would complain, thinking that someone was smoking a cigarette,” she said.

“When we actually went down to check out the scene, it actually wasn’t a cigarette, it was potentially a vaporizer or e-cigarette. They don't know the difference.”

Some business owners worry about the health effects of having vapour in the air.

Shyla Kuysters, co-owner of Sequel Cafe, lost a customer because of her e-cigarette ban.

"He pulled his e-cigarette out, took a big puff and let the smoke out in the air, and I said, would you please not smoke that in here,” she recalled.

“And he turned around and said, ‘What? It's only an e-cigarette, there's nothing in it,’ which I said, ‘Well I dispute that,’ and he turned around and walked out."

Edmonton city councillor Amarjeet Sohi believes regulation of e-cigarettes should be the responsibility of the provincial government.  

“It's their jurisdiction,” he said.

“I think it's more effective for the province, to have a province-wide policy other than a city-wide policy, because people travel between the city and city"

E-cigarettes were on the agenda at this week’s meeting of provincial health ministers in Banff.

Alberta Health Minister Stephen Mandel wants his government to look into the use of the devices.