Abstract
The adverse effects of direct cannabis use are well described in the literature; however, researchers are now beginning to expose the health consequences of secondhand exposure. Given the commitment by the federal government to legalize cannabis in Canada by summer 2018, public health officials must build on the successes of existing smoke-free programs and work with provinces and municipalities to develop policies that protect the public from secondhand exposure to cannabis smoke and vapour. While harmonization with existing tobacco laws may offer the simplest approach, other alternatives may allow stricter control of public consumption by different levels of government. Further research will be needed to assess the health implications of secondhand cannabis exposure, as well as the population impacts of legalization.
Résumé
Les effets indésirables de la consommation directe de cannabis sont bien décrits dans les revues scientifiques, mais les chercheurs commencent à peine à dévoiler les conséquences pour la santé de l’exposition secondaire au cannabis. Puisque le gouvernement fédéral s’est engagé à légaliser le cannabis au Canada d’ici l’été 2018, les autorités de santé publique doivent miser sur l’efficacité des programmes antitabac existants et collaborer avec les provinces et les municipalités à l’élaboration de politiques qui protégeront le public contre l’exposition secondaire à la fumée et aux vapeurs du cannabis. L’approche la plus simple pourrait être l’harmonisation avec les lois antitabac existantes, mais d’autres solutions permettraient un contrôle plus strict de la consommation en public par différents ordres de gouvernement. De nouvelles études seront nécessaires pour évaluer les conséquences pour la santé de l’exposition secondaire au cannabis, ainsi que les incidences de la légalisation sur la population.
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McKee, G., McClure, S., Fyfe, M. et al. Protecting the public from exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke and vapour following legalization. Can J Public Health 109, 223–226 (2018). https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-018-0054-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-018-0054-5