Towards a tightening of legislation on vaping in Canada

Due to a sharp increase in the consumption of vaping products in Canada, health authorities have decided to strengthen the regulatory framework for e-cigarettes at both the provincial and federal levels. The objective is to protect young people from nicotine addiction. Various provisions aim to - protect young people and non-smokers from incentives to use vaping products. Several provinces have restrictions on advertising, including at the point of sale, thus going beyond federal restrictions; - prohibit the use of e-cigarettes in places where smoking is already prohibited; - implement a maximum nicotine level of 20 mg / ml; - protect the health of young people by limiting access to vaping products by increasing the age of sale to 21 or by making provisions concerning sales on the internet; - introduce taxes on vaping products to reduce their accessibility, The British Columbia government has announced that it is considering introducing plain packaging for vaping products. The Quebec government is going even further by also considering limiting access to the product by requiring a medical authorization for an individual to purchase e-cigarettes, or at least certain e-cigarettes. The province of Quebec is also the only one to have banned online sales by requiring that all sales be made face-to-face in a physical, closed store, and at a specific location. At the federal level, on December 19, 2019, Health Minister Patty Hajdu announced proposed federal regulations regarding the promotion of vaping products. Advertising would be prohibited in any medium targeted at young people. Additional measures regarding the reduction of nicotine concentration limits as well as new restrictions on the flavours authorized in products are under consideration. Additional legislation on the packaging and labelling of vaping products has been adopted. It will come into force on July 1, 2020. It provides for the affixing of a health warning on the packaging, an indication of the nicotine concentration, a list of ingredients and other information. As of January 1, 2021, child safety standards for products not covered will also be effective. Regulations to reduce the promotion and appeal of vaping products to young people and public education measures to raise awareness of the health risks will be put in place. Canada is among the countries with strict legislation regarding vaping products. This strengthening at the federal level and at the level of the majority of provinces demonstrates a common desire to reduce the promotion and appeal of vaping products to young people and the general public given the addictive nature of these products and for health reasons.

Update on e-cigarette legislation - full document

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