City council in Vancouver has voted to immediately ban the sale of gun-shaped lighters to reduce the public safety risk.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says the city is the first municipality in Canada to ban the sale, and businesses that fail to comply with the rules will be issued a $1,000 fine.
The lighter is hand-held and designed to resemble a firearm, and it includes a trigger, a barrel and handle, but produces a torch-style flame instead of a bullet.
A statement from the city says police figures show a significant rise in incidents involving the lighters, with 162 reports to police last year that were classified as a "priority weapons call" and they triggering an "elevated police response."
Vancouver Chief Const. Steve Rai says the lighters pose a serious risk to public safety because of their realistic appearance.
The city says as many as 75 stores in Vancouver sell the lighters and it will notify all of them about the new bylaw, with monitoring and follow up by the Vancouver Police Department.
Sim says the decision shows the city's commitment to public safety and they aren't stopping there.
"We will be inviting the province and federal government to work with us on broader solutions so that gun-shaped lighters do not continue to pose a risk.”
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck