Vancouver city council will decide Wednesday whether to ban gun-shaped lighters.
The devices triggered 162 police calls in 2024 and the department says they were used in at least six violent offences and 10 others leading to criminal charges related to robbery, assault and weapons possession.
The data is contained in a city staff report, which was requested by council in May after Coun. Mike Klassen successfully moved a motion to have staff provide guidance on bylaw amendments to ban the sale of the lighters, which can resemble handguns.
“These are not novelty items, they are a public safety hazard,” Klassen said in introducing his motion. “This is a practical and proactive step that we can take to protect our residents, reduce unnecessary strain on police resources and prevent a tragic incident before it occurs.”
The Criminal Code of Canada does not prohibit the possession or sale of the lighters unless they are used in the commission of a crime, leaving police with limited avenues to seize the devices proactively.
Police believe an estimated 50 to 75 retailers sell the lighters in Vancouver, with the majority located downtown and in the Downtown Eastside.
'Huge, significant problem'
Deputy police chief Howard Chow told the Vancouver Police Board in January that the lighters were a daily problem for the department, with nearly half of the calls in the Downtown Eastside and almost 40 per cent downtown.
Chow said the weekend prior to the board meeting, police responded to six calls related to the lighters, with all generating a heavy police presence.
One 911 caller said a person was on a bus with a gun.
Thirteen Vancouver officers and two transit officers were involved in the call, which took an hour to resolve before determining the device was not a gun, but a lighter.
A second call the same weekend involved 24 officers. That call took four hours to resolve, said Chow, adding that gun-shaped lighters were becoming “a huge, significant problem.”
'Ticketable offence'
In addition to amending the licence bylaw to ban the sale of lighters, staff has proposed an amendment to the ticket offences bylaw to make the sale of gun-shaped lighters “a ticketable offence” with a fine of $1,000.
Staff has also proposed that Mayor Ken Sim, on behalf of council, write a letter to the provincial government requesting legislative amendments to prohibit the sale, distribution, and possession of the lighters in B.C.
The letter should also request the B.C. government consider legislative changes to empower law enforcement to “seize these devices proactively” and prevent their continued proliferation in communities across the province.
Bear spray, locking lighters
Staff said regulating the retail sale of an item for the purposes of public safety has produced successful outcomes in the past, including bear spray and exploding animal deterrents, more commonly known as bear bangers.
Lodestar Media reported in October 2024 that a bylaw brought in by council in March 2023 to decrease the number of crimes committed by young people and adults armed with bear spray was having the desired effect on violent incidents.
From January to July of 2024, police recorded 534 bear spray incidents involving young people and adults compared to 643 for the same period in 2023, for an overall decrease of 17 per cent.
Council also recently prohibited the sale of continuous flame butane lighters, which were the cause of two recent fires at the Luugat supportive housing building at 1176 Granville St.
A report from the Vancouver Fire Rescue Services’ investigations division that went before council in May said there were 3,128 fires that occurred over the past 16 months where a lockable lighter or torch may have been the igniting source.
The lighters, or torches, are common tools used by people who regularly smoke opioids or stimulants and does not require the user to manually produce a continuous flame — a concern if someone overdoses.
