Quebec, Canada Plans to Ban Sales of Flavored Vaping Products

Today, on April 19, Canadian Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube announced his intention to draft regulations to ban the sale of flavored vaping products (excluding tobacco flavors) in the coming weeks.

The proposed amendments to the Tobacco Control Act published in Wednesday's Quebec Gazette include seeking to prohibit the sale or distribution of tobacco products, e-cigarettes, or any other such devices that contain flavors or aromas other than tobacco.

Additionally, Quebec seeks to prohibit e-cigarette manufacturers from selling products that do not meet nicotine concentration (20 mg per milliliter) and product shape standards.

The legislation will also include restrictions on the sale of products that appeal to minors, such as those shaped like toys, food, animals, or characters. Furthermore, the new regulations will limit the capacity of cans and capsules to 2 milliliters and the maximum capacity of refill containers for e-liquid to 30 milliliters.

Dube and Minister Isabelle Charest, responsible for sports, recreation, and outdoor activities, stated that the draft regulations follow the recommendations of the special intervention group on e-cigarettes, which includes representatives from various government departments and agencies, the Quebec Public Health Institute (INSPQ), clinicians, and public health officials.

Data cited by the Quebec government shows that the use of e-cigarette products among young people is on the rise. The proportion of young people who smoked in the past 30 days has increased fivefold over six years, from 4% in 2013 to 21% in 2019.

The legislation is expected to be submitted within 90 days.

"The draft regulations are expected to have financial impacts on businesses that derive income from the sale of these products, particularly in terms of reduced turnover and unemployment, especially for stores specializing in e-cigarette products," the document states. "However, the impact is expected to be smaller for businesses that offer a variety of other products, such as convenience stores and gas stations."

Specialized e-cigarette stores have recently drawn the ire of anti-tobacco coalitions, as some stores have begun selling candy and other snacks to allow minors to enter their premises.

According to Quebec law, minors are not allowed to enter specialized e-cigarette stores. By adding sweets, the stores comply with convenience store regulations, allowing children under 18 to enter.

The coalition believes that candy flavors in e-cigarette products are appealing to young people.

In Canada, Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick, and the Northwest Territories have already banned all flavors of e-cigarettes except for tobacco. In British Columbia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, flavored e-liquids are limited to specialized e-cigarette stores.

Dube stated in 2020 that he intended to focus on banning flavors and limiting nicotine concentrations in all e-cigarette products.