With new federal fees, stricter advertising limits, and provincial flavour bans, Canada’s evolving tobacco laws are reshaping how nicotine is sold and consumed — and why public health is at the heart of every change.
Canada’s approach to tobacco regulation has evolved into one of the most comprehensive in the world. In 2025, new updates to federal and provincial laws continue to target youth smoking and vaping, tighten retail rules, and reinforce public health priorities. Here’s how Canada’s tobacco laws now work — coast to coast to coast.
Canada has spent decades tightening its tobacco laws, and in 2025, the rules are stricter than ever. Whether you’re a smoker, a retailer, or simply curious, it’s worth understanding how tobacco is regulated across the country. From who’s allowed to sell it to how it’s advertised and where it can be used, Canada’s approach combines strong federal standards with provincial and territorial flexibility.
At the national level, tobacco and vaping products are regulated under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA), administered by Health Canada. This law establishes the foundation for how these products are made, sold, labeled, and promoted across the country.
All tobacco packaging must be standardized and carry prominent graphic health warnings. Some categories, such as large cigars, have slightly different labelling requirements, but the intent is the same — to prevent designs that could make products appear safer or more appealing.
Flavoured tobacco products, especially those that appeal to youth, are largely banned under federal law. The rules for vaping flavours, however, are more complex. Ottawa restricts certain flavouring substances nationwide, but many provinces have gone further with additional bans or location-specific restrictions.
Descriptors like “light,” “mild,” or “low tar” are prohibited because they can mislead consumers about health risks. Advertising is tightly restricted, particularly in places where youth might see it, and retailers must verify that buyers are at least 18 years old — the federal minimum. Most provinces and territories have raised the minimum age to 19, and Prince Edward Island has gone even further, setting it at 21.
In 2025, Health Canada also updated its Tobacco Charges Regulations, requiring manufacturers and importers to pay annual fees to help fund tobacco-control and public-health initiatives.
While the federal government sets national standards, provinces and territories manage day-to-day enforcement and retail regulation. They determine who can sell tobacco, where it can be sold, how it’s displayed, and how smoke-free or vapour-free environments are defined.
This leads to some regional variation:
• In British Columbia, you must be 19 to buy tobacco or vapour products. Stores open to all ages must keep products hidden from view, and vending machines are permitted only in adult-only venues. Only tobacco-flavoured vaping products may be sold outside speciality vape shops.
• In Alberta and Manitoba, the minimum age is 18, consistent with federal law. Display rules apply in most stores, though these provinces have been somewhat less restrictive about vaping flavours.
• Saskatchewan raised its age limit to 19 in 2024 and limits most flavoured vaping products to adult-only specialty stores.
• In Ontario, the legal age is 19, and the province enforces strict display bans. Retailers must hide tobacco and vaping products from public view unless they operate as adult-only premises. Only tobacco-flavoured vapes may be displayed, and stores must verify ID for anyone who appears younger than 25.
• Quebec sets the age at 18 and applies some of the toughest display and advertising restrictions in the country. Its 2023 rules limit vaping flavours almost entirely to tobacco or unflavoured options.
• Nova Scotia allows sales only to those 19 and bans all vaping flavours except tobacco flavour.
• Prince Edward Island is the most restrictive province: it raised the purchase age to 21 and limits vape products to tobacco flavour only.
• The territories generally mirror provincial approaches. Nunavut and the Northwest Territories set the minimum age at 19 and apply tight flavour and display restrictions similar to those in other regions. These differences mean that a retailer in Halifax faces much tighter flavour and visibility limits than one in Edmonton. But across Canada, the overall trend is consistent — stricter control, fewer visible products, and stronger youth protection.
Tobacco and vaping advertising in Canada faces some of the world’s toughest restrictions. Ads on TV, radio, and most digital platforms are banned outright. Sponsorships, branded merchandise, and promotional events by tobacco companies are also prohibited.
In-store advertising is extremely limited. Most provinces forbid any product displays visible to the public, and retailers may only provide factual information — no logos, imagery, or promotional language that could make tobacco seem safer or more fashionable. Even permitted materials must comply with federal content and placement standards.The goal is to make tobacco and vaping products as invisible as possible in everyday settings, especially to young people.
Only authorized or licensed retailers can sell tobacco products in Canada — typically convenience stores, gas stations, and specialty tobacconists. Each province issues its own licence or registration, and conditions vary.
Sales are often prohibited in public or healthcare facilities such as hospitals and recreation centres, though this depends on local law. Vending machines are banned or restricted to adult-only locations. Online retailers must verify age and follow both federal and provincial packaging and labelling requirements.
Tobacco products must remain out of public view except in age-restricted stores, and violations can result in fines, licence suspensions, or criminal penalties.
Canada permits several categories of tobacco products — cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, and smokeless tobacco — but the variety has narrowed dramatically. Fruit- or candy-flavoured options are banned in most regions, and vaping products face similar limits depending on the province or territory.
Health Canada regulates nicotine concentration, packaging, and product design to prevent misleading impressions of reduced harm. Plain packaging and standardized health warnings are required to reinforce the risks associated with tobacco use.
Smoking was once commonplace in offices, restaurants, and even on aeroplanes. That began to change in 1988 with the Tobacco Products Control Act, which banned most advertising and required health warnings. The 1997 Tobacco Act strengthened youth protections and restricted promotions.
Over time, provinces introduced their own smoke-free laws, raised purchase ages, and banned certain flavours. The 2018 Tobacco and Vaping Products Act modernized the federal framework and extended regulation to vaping products.
Health Canada completed its second legislative review of the TVPA in 2024, reaffirming the need to reduce nicotine dependence — particularly among youth — through coordinated national and regional action.
Following the 2025 federal election, Marjorie Michel was appointed Minister of Health by Prime Minister Mark Carney. While she has issued few direct statements on tobacco and vaping since taking office, Health Canada has emphasized her commitment to youth protection and stronger oversight of nicotine products.
Early in her tenure, public health groups urged her to accelerate a review of flavoured vape regulations, a process that the department confirmed was underway by mid-2025. Under Michel’s leadership, Health Canada has continued to prioritize reducing youth exposure to nicotine and aligning tobacco and vaping standards across jurisdictions — a clear sign that Ottawa intends to maintain pressure on the industry.
Smoking remains one of the leading causes of preventable death in Canada, contributing to cancers, heart disease, and respiratory illness. By making tobacco and nicotine products harder to access, less visible, and less appealing — particularly to young people — Canada aims to further reduce smoking and vaping rates. Whether you’re lighting up, selling tobacco, or simply trying to understand the rules, the country’s approach is rooted in safety, accountability, and long-term public health.
Building a Smoke-Free Canada is Ottawa Life Magazine’s year-long editorial series examining how Canada is tackling tobacco-related harm. Each article explores policy, innovation, and public health efforts shaping the future of nicotine use.
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