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Flavoured vapes are not banned in Ontario, though their sale is restricted; they can only be sold by specialty shops.
With laws and restrictions on flavoured vapes changing from province to province, and new legislation constantly being introduced (with a federal flavour ban constantly looming), it’s important to understand how each province treats flavoured vaping products. This guide will help you understand the laws and restrictions in Ontario.
Key Takeaways
- The sale of vape flavours is restricted in Ontario; they can only be sold in specialty vape shops and cannabis stores.
- Menthol, mint, and tobacco-flavoured vaping products can still be sold in convenience stores, gas stations, and other stores already licensed to sell tobacco products.
- Some provinces have completely banned most flavoured vaping products; for now, flavoured products are still available in Ontario.
- A Canada-wide ban on flavoured products may be coming soon.
The History Of Vaping Bans In Canada
Flavoured vape products have long been a contentious issue in Canada. In 2021, the Government of Canada vowed to ban the sale of flavoured vapes other than menthol, mint, and tobacco flavours. As of the writing of this article (October 2024), no such ban exists, and Health Canada continues to allow the sale of flavoured vaping products.
In the absence of any regulations from Health Canada, some provinces and territories have opted to ban flavoured vapes on their own:
- Nova Scotia (2020)
- Prince Edward Island (2021)
- New Brunswick (2021)
- The Northwest Territories (2022)
- Quebec (2023)
Ontario has not banned the sale of flavoured vapes; the vape flavour ban Ontario implemented is not really a ban, but a restriction. Let’s explore the changes that Ontario implemented in 2020:
Ontario's Flavoured Vape Ban Explained
As of July 1st, 2020, only specialty vape stores and licensed cannabis retail stores are allowed to sell flavoured vape products. The exception to this rule is menthol, mint, and tobacco-flavoured products, which can still be sold by retail establishments that are licensed to sell tobacco products.
These changes came into effect at the same time as the changes that restricted the sale of high nicotine vapour products (those in excess of 20 mg/mL). Like flavoured vape products, these products can only be sold in specialty vape stores and cannabis stores.
These changes further restricted the advertising of vape products; advertisements are not allowed to be visible from outside of stores.
Should the federal government institute a full-fledged ban on flavours outside of nicotine, menthol, and mint, the restrictions on flavoured vapes will become a ban. How the government would institute such a ban and what products would be affected remains to be seen.
Ontario has recently taken other actions to dissuade people from vaping; the province recently enacted legislation to put its own excise tax on vaping products, effectively doubling the tax consumers must pay when vaping.
Other Provinces Affected By The Ban
No other province is affected by the restrictions in Ontario, though as we mentioned in “The History of Vaping Bans in Canada” section, many provinces have created their own restrictions or bans on vaping flavours.
Notably, some provinces ban the sale of flavoured vaping products but do not ban the import of those products from other provinces. When ordering vaping products online, it’s important to check legislation within your own province to understand whether or not you are permitted to import flavoured vaping products.
What This Means For Users & Retailers
By and large, these restrictions are welcome in the vaping community. None of us want children and teenagers to start vaping, but many of us want access to a variety of different flavours. By restricting which retailers can sell flavoured products and restricting how those retailers can advertise, the provincial government has found an effective way to reduce youth the access to flavoured vapes.
Retailers have already adapted to the restrictions, leading consumers who want flavoured products to visit vape specialty stores.
A federal ban on flavoured vapes, on the other hand, would not be well received at all. There is a large industry built around vaping, and many in the industry worry that a federal ban could reduce the effectiveness of vaping as a smoking reduction tool, leading some users to create their own unregulated products or turn back to the use of cigarettes.
In October 2024, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions reaffirmed that the federal government will ban most vape flavours across Canada. She said that this ban will occur “soon”. Which products this ban will affect is unclear, but whether you’re in Ontario or anywhere else in Canada, they’re bound to have a profound effect on vapers and the vaping market.
Potential Alternatives
Ontario currently has restrictions on most flavoured vape products as well as on nicotine concentration, but these restrictions are meant to reduce youth vaping; they don’t actually prevent Ontarians from accessing flavoured vapes. No alternatives are needed at this time.
Should Health Canada and the federal government institute a nationwide flavoured vaping ban, the alternatives will depend on the actual rules of the ban. Vapers may move back to creating their own flavours if the ingredients necessary to do so are not restricted. There are, however, a number of health risks inherent to unregulated products, which is one of the reasons that flavour bans can pose a risk to public health.
Realistically, a flavour ban may curb youth vaping—a laudable goal—but it may also reduce the use of vapes as a product to curb nicotine addiction. People with nicotine addictions may turn to other products; in the worst-case scenarios, they may return to smoking cigarettes.
Conclusion
The laws currently in place in Ontario are quite sensible, and restricting the sale of flavoured products to specialty stores is an excellent way of reducing youth access to vapes without banning flavours outright. The federal government may ban flavours quite soon; if it does, it will dramatically change the landscape of the vaping industry.
We’ll continue to keep our customers aware of any coming changes to vaping laws on a federal or provincial level; be sure to check back regularly for updates.