At least one Edmonton vape shop owner welcomes stricter rules as the federal government mulls e-cigarette regulations.

A report tabled in the House of Commons Wednesday put forward 13 recommendations for further research and restrictions on vaping devices.

“We want way stricter regulations,” said Tyrus Cote, co-owner of Liberty Vape on Jasper Avenue. “We want all the juice to be third-party lab tested, we want all the hardware to be approved for safety … Because the whole point is to switch to a healthier lifestyle.”

The report found electronic cigarette juice containing nicotine being is being sold in stores and over the Internet, despite being illegal without Health Canada authorization.

A vape shop manager told Metro earlier this week that nearly one-third of her customers were not previously hooked on cigarettes, while Health Canada officials said a 2013 Ontario study showed nearly 15 per cent of students in grades 9 to 12 had tried e-cigarettes.

Despite that, all members of the vaping industry who Metro spoke with agreed their main focus is to help people quit smoking.

“It’s the best part of our job,” Cote said.

“I had a gentleman come in yesterday who said he’s been a pack a day for over 10 years. He said since he bought a vape from us, he’s down to about a pack in six days.”

If a young customer comes in wanting to vape without having a previous cigarette addiction, Cote said he strongly urges them not to start.

Action on Smoking and Health executive director Les Hagen said there is “no question” that e-cigarettes can play a role in helping smokers quit, but added they should be subject to the same regulations that apply to other nicotine devices like inhalers, patches and gum.

“This isn’t about singling out e-cigarettes,” he said. “This is about equal treatment.”

(The Post Was Reprinted From metronews.ca, Read The Original Post Here >> http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmonton/2016/06/16/edmonton-vape-shop-owner-supports-regulations.html)