Winnipeg school trustee pushes for e-cigarettes ban

A Winnipegschool trustee is takingaim at e-cigarettes, trying to ban them from all school propertyin his division.

Anthony Ramos, a Winnipeg School Division trustee and former teacher, hopes his motion will pass at a board meeting onOct.6.

It's the final meeting before the civic election, and the last day as a trustee for Ramos, whois running for city councillor in the Point Douglas ward.

The e-cigarette devices have become quite trendy and popular and I feel to be proactive as far as something like this is the right thing to do," he said.

"I heard the federal government has no intention on regulating, which is fine, but I think we can do something as a school division, as a board trustee, to look out for the academic interests and the learning environments of our students."

Like cellphones, e-cigarettes area distraction that should not be part of the school environment, Ramos said.

"The things that teachers today [already] have to deal with is always a daily struggle and battle.

There hasn't been much of an issue with the e-cigarettes in school so far, but Ramos doesn't believe a ban should wait until there is a problem.

"I am proactively acting on it before it even happens and becomes a distraction before it even happens, that is why I would like to push this forward," he said.

The ban would apply to every school in the division and even parents coming in for a meeting.

If they want to vape, they can leave the grounds," Ramos said.

"And if these kids have it and their parents are fine with it, do it at home, not at school."