The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) warned Nov. 2 that banning most vape flavors could hand more business to illegal sellers, even as youth vaping continues to decline.
The industry group's statement follows a renewed push by health organizations to finalize national restrictions that have remained unfinished for more than five years. The dispute centers on whether restricting legal flavors will protect teenagers or redirect adult customers to unregulated suppliers.
On Oct. 27, Heart & Stroke and other health organizations called for federal action. They want the government to finalize a proposal limiting vaping products mainly to tobacco, mint, and menthol flavors, arguing that sweet and fruit flavors appeal to young people.
But the CVA points to Health Canada's January 2026 progress report. It found that vaping among Canadians aged 12 to 17 fell to about six percent in 2024, roughly 60 percent below its 2019 peak. The decline puts youth vaping below the agency's target of less than 10 percent by 2025. Health Canada also reports that retailer compliance with vaping regulations rose from 69 percent in 2019 to 90 percent in 2025.
CVA President Sam Tam questioned the case for additional prohibitions when existing measures have coincided with falling youth use. The association instead wants stronger retailer licensing, penalties for sales to minors, mandatory online age checks, and enforcement against illegal suppliers.
The group also cited a 2026 analysis by Concordia University economist Ian Irvine. Irvine estimated that illegal sales might account for about 30 percent of Canada's vape market. His model also identified purchases from other provinces as especially important in places with stricter rules, including Quebec and Nova Scotia. The figure is a modeled estimate, not a direct government count of illegal sales.
Flavor restrictions would also affect adults who use vaping to quit smoking. A peer-reviewed Canadian study published in January 2025 found that 19.4 percent of adults who had attempted to quit smoking used a vaping product in their latest attempt. Among those users, about 68 percent chose flavors that would be prohibited under the federal proposal. The study did not establish that a flavor ban would cause those adults to return to smoking.
Ottawa has not finalized the nationwide restrictions. Health Canada's 2026–2028 regulatory plan still lists the measures, but gives no date for final publication. During a Sept. 23 Senate committee hearing, a Health Canada official likewise said the department had no timeline to share.
That leaves the government weighing two competing concerns: youth access to attractive flavored products and the possibility that restrictions will push some existing demand beyond the regulated market. For now, the federal flavor ban remains a proposal, not a nationwide rule.
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