Saskatoon city council to exempt e-cigarette use in vaping stores

​Vaping shop owners in Saskatoon are heaving a sigh of relief. Their customers will be allowed to sample e-cigarettes before buying.

On Monday, city council passed a by-law that bans vaping everywhere smoking is banned. But it also agreed to amend the by-law to exempt vaping shops.

"Our customers need to be able to see them and use them and test them, have our staff troubleshoot any problems and actually use the devices in the store to show how to use them safely and properly," Mitchell Tarala, owner of Vapor Jedi said. 

The Lung Association argued against the exemption, saying it's concerned about shop staff being exposed to harmful substances that the vapour may contain.

"Well certainly any time you bring outside ingredients into the lungs there can be particulate matter there. And that's where lung health damage happens. So that is our focus certainly is lung health," Jennifer Miller, vice-president of health promotion with the Lung Association of Saskatchewan, said.

The exemption is not official yet. City council has to pass another by-law amendment. But it did pass a motion today in favour of the exemption.

The city will also exempt tobacco use for aboriginal spiritual or cultural practices and ceremonies.

The city does not allow smoking in any city-owned facilities or on city grounds.

CBC reporter Kathy Fitzpatrick tweeted live from council today.