Ban on vaping flavors: Illegal market gaining ground, survey finds

Despite their ban, sales of flavored vaping products have seen a sharp increase in Quebec in the last year, reveals a Léger survey.

These products remain not only available, but also easily accessible across the province.

Over the past 12 months, 76% of vapers who participated in the study conducted for Imperial Tobacco Canada say they have purchased at least one of the vaping products whose sale is prohibited by law.

This marked increase of 8 percentage points compared to a similar survey conducted in the fall of 2024 speaks for itself, according to Éric Gagnon, vice-president of corporate and regulatory affairs at Imperial Tobacco Canada.

"In Quebec, there's a lack of will to enforce regulations. The more time goes by, the more the sale of these products seems to be becoming commonplace."

"Health groups, industry, and the media have long said the problem is growing. The government must take responsibility for its regulations and enforce them," he argues.

In-store purchases on the rise

Still according to the results obtained by the Léger survey carried out from April 10 to 24, 2025, the purchase of flavored products in specialized stores has also seen a significant increase recently, going from 40% in 2024 to 52% in 2025, despite the ban.

"We visited several stores and realized that 14 of the 15 [establishments] we visited were still selling illegal products. So, when the government tells us that inspectors are active, I wonder how they operate," explains Mr. Gagnon.

"If we are unable to enforce the regulations, we should regulate vaping differently in Quebec because, clearly, what has been proposed and put forward is not currently working," he added.

As of June 2024, 42 warnings of non-compliance with the regulations had been given by inspectors from the Ministry of Health and Social Services.

Some 45 notices of offence were also being processed by the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions.

Possible solutions

The person who says he fears potential public health problems due to this illegal market believes that the government could consider a complementary model, similar to that of the SQDC, to offer flavored nicotine products within a strictly regulated framework.

Among the recommendations made by Imperial Tobacco Canada is a program similar to Accès-Tabac, but for vaping.

The company argues that this would allow law enforcement to take action against offenders, and could easily help control the problem of illegal products.

"The current vaping regulations in Quebec, despite good intentions, are unintentionally contributing to the growth of the illicit market. There is still time to act and reverse the situation, but to do so, we must bring all the stakeholders together around the table," concluded Mr. Gagnon.

– The study was carried out among 1,005 Quebecers aged 18 or over, including 500 e-cigarette users .