E-cigarettes, also known as vaporizers or vapes, are entirely legal in Canada. There is no law against e-cigarettes for individual use in all of Canada. However, there are some rules in certain provinces on where you can use them. Some municipalities and provinces have created e-cigarette regulations. We share a basic legal guide to Canada’s vape regulations in this post.

Basic legal guide to e-cigarettes in Ontario

You must be at least 19 years old to buy and use vaping supplies or e-cigarettes. Just like tobacco, persons under 19 years can not use or buy online e-cigarettes in Canada. Doing this is illegal. If you live anywhere in Ontario, this regulation applies. The retailer must request your ID before selling vaping supplies or e-cigs to you. In fact, the law has been refined to prevent the entry of persons under 19 years into vaping shops. You have to show a government-issued ID at the door before they let you in.

Vaping in an enclosed place is illegal. The Ontario Smoke-free Act 2017 states that vaping in an enclosed public area is not allowed. That means you can not use e-cigarettes in an enclosed office area, public area, or wherever there is a No Smoking sign. Vaping in such areas is against the law; you can be charged and pay fines for it. You can learn more about these restricted areas on the Ontario Smoke and Vape page. In some cases, vaping can be illegal in an e-cigarette shop too. Here are the basics of this regulation:

• Testing a vaping product is permitted. 
• Only two people can test a vaping product at the same time.
• Specialty E-cigarette shops must provide one-time disposable mouthpieces for testing. Except if the vape belongs to the customer testing the product.
• The vaping product must not contain any controlled substance, such as cannabis, tobacco, or any others.

Legal guide to e-cigs in other parts of Canada

Alberta

There is no law in Alberta on e-cigarette use, only a warning. The government warns that the product is not tested. Therefore people should be cautious. However, the regulations are different in Calgary. Tobacco and vaporizers are banned in Calgary. Vape shops are permitted to operate, and people can test vaping products inside these shops. That means vaping is permitted in places like bars, hotels, restaurants, etc., in Alberta, except in Calgary. It is also against the law to use e-cigs where the establishment or owner does not permit them. Do not ignore a No Smoking sign.

British Columbia 

The regulations here are similar to Ontario’s. No Smoking in enclosed spaces. No sale or use of vaporizers to minors (below 19 years olds). No vaping in work and public spaces. It is also illegal to vape in a car with children under 16 years old. Vaping is also banned near any health authority building or site. Expect up to 20% tax when you buy a vaping product.

E-cigarette regulations differ according to provinces and municipalities, as mentioned. It is helpful to familiarize yourself with the basic laws before buying or using a vaping product anywhere in Canada.