Vaping Laws In Canada Explained

Vaping is legal in Canada—but when it’s legal, where it’s legal, and what products you can purchase varies depending on where you are. Health Canada has largely left regulating vaping products to the provinces and territories (though that could be changing soon—more on that in a bit). This means vaping laws differ depending on which province or territory you’re in.

In this article, we break down the vaping laws by province and territory, we answer questions like “How old do you have to be to buy a vape in Canada?” and “Are flavoured vapes banned in my province?”.  Let’s get right into it:

At A Glance

Vape Laws In B.C.

In British Columbia, there’s a ban on the sale of flavoured vaping products (except tobacco) everywhere except for specialty vape stores. Vapes can be used outdoors, in parts of provincial parks, and on restaurant and bar patios. You must be 19 years of age to purchase a vape. 

Vape Laws In Alberta

Alberta has some of the most lenient vaping laws of all the provinces; you may purchase vaping products at 18 years of age, and there’s no restriction on flavours or where flavoured vapes can be sold. You cannot, however, use vapes on restaurant patios or in many outdoor spaces. Unique to Alberta is a legal vaping age; if you are under the minimum age of 18, it’s illegal to possess vaping products. 

Vape Laws In Saskatchewan

In Saskatchewan, convenience and gas stores can only sell tobacco, mint, and menthol-flavoured vapes. You can purchase vapes at 19 years of age. 

Vape Laws In Manitoba

In Manitoba, there are no restrictions on selling flavoured products; the legal vaping age is 19. 

Vape Laws In Ontario

In Ontario, gas and convenience stores can only sell mint, menthol, and tobacco vaping products; while there isn’t a flavoured vape ban in Ontario, access is restricted to specialty stores. There are several restrictions on where vapes can be used; Ontario has some of the strictest restrictions on vape usage in the country.

Vape Laws In Quebec

Quebec has opted to ban all vape flavours except for tobacco vapes; flavourless vaping products are also allowed. In other ways, however, it has fairly lenient vaping laws, and vapes are allowed in several indoor public places, like bars, restaurants, shops, and casinos—among others. 

Vape Laws In New Brunswick

New Brunswick has banned all non-tobacco vape flavours and placed heavy restrictions on where vapes can be used. Despite this, the province has some of the most relaxed laws on where vapes can be sold—only pharmacies are banned from selling vapes, and you can buy them in hospitals, in schools, on campus, and more. 

Vaping Laws In P.E.I.

Prince Edward Island is unique among the provinces for having the highest legal age to purchase vapes and vaping products at 21. Like the other maritime provinces, it’s also banned all vape flavours except for tobacco. Its ban is even more restrictive, too—only specialty stores can sell vapes. 

Vaping Laws In Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia has banned the sale of all non-tobacco vape flavours. It also has tight controls over who can sell vaping products and where they can be used—the legal age to purchase vaping products in Nova Scotia is 19. 

Vape Laws In Newfoundland

In Newfoundland, there is no restriction on flavoured vapes; the legal vaping age is 19. The laws surrounding outdoor vaping are less strict in Newfoundland than in most places, and you can vape on playgrounds, in provincial parks, on public beaches, and more. 

NWT Vaping Laws

The Northwest Territories has banned the sale of non-tobacco-flavoured vapes. Vaping is not explicitly banned in workplaces in the Northwest Territories.

Nunavut Vaping Laws

Nunavut has a ban on the books for non-tobacco flavoured vapes; the territory is the most restrictive among the three when it comes to where vaping products can be sold and where they can be used.

Yukon Vaping Laws

Yukon has banned non-tobacco-flavoured vapes. It is the least restrictive territory in terms of where vaping products can be sold and used. 

Conclusion

When you want to quit smoking tobacco products, vapes can help. Vaping regulations exist to help reduce nicotine addiction in Canadians under the age of 19, and to prevent people who are not currently addicted to nicotine from becoming addicted.

Health Canada may introduce new vaping regulations to ban the sale of flavoured vapes altogether; our team is watching carefully, and we’ll keep you updated if the ban is slated to go through.

Now that you know the regulations surrounding vapes in Canada, you’ll have a better idea of where you can buy vapes, who can buy vapes, and what flavours are available.