Vaping compliance and enforcement

On this page:

• Vaping Compliance and Enforcement Reports
• Health Canada's role
• Vaping Industry’s role
• For more information

Health Canada has a rigorous compliance and enforcement program in place to ensure that manufacturers, importers and sellers of vaping products comply with the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) and the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA). Health Canada inspectors regularly perform inspections of tobacco and vaping product retailers, manufacturers, online based establishments, and any other locations where tobacco and vaping products are sold or promoted.

In April 2019, Health Canada committed to providing regular updates to Canadians about the results of Health Canada's compliance and enforcement activities. To support this commitment, Health Canada began publishing Vaping Compliance and Enforcement Reports at the end of 2019.  

The Vaping Compliance and Enforcement Reports support Health Canada's commitment to transparency and openness, providing information to industry and consumers about Health Canada's compliance and enforcement activities concerning the sale, labelling and promotion of vaping products.  They list establishments inspected and found to be non-compliant with the TVPA and/or the CCPSA by Health Canada inspectors at the time an inspection took place.

Vaping Compliance and Enforcement Reports are produced by Health Canada following the period in which the compliance and enforcement activity took place.  The reports provide information on the results of an inspection and are not updated to include any subsequent compliance activities following the inspection.

Vaping Compliance and Enforcement Reports

• July to September 2019: Retail inspections
• October to December 2019: Retail inspections
• July 2020 to March 2021: Online inspections
• August 2021 to March 2022: Retail inspections

Health Canada's role

As a regulator, Health Canada is committed to greater transparency and openness to further strengthen confidence in our regulatory decisions. This includes sharing the results of its compliance and enforcement activities related to vaping products.

Health Canada carries out inspections to verify and enforce requirements pertaining to vaping products under the TVPA and CCPSA.

Health Canada inspectors are designated and trained to conduct compliance and enforcement activities in a fair, consistent, and unbiased manner, following standard procedures.

Health Canada inspectors regularly perform inspections of vaping product retailers, specialty establishments, manufacturers, online-based establishments, and any other establishments where vaping products are sold, promoted, manufactured or labelled.  In addition, Health Canada also conducts compliance promotion activities (e.g. providing information and education) to raise awareness within the vaping industry of their obligations.

Vaping Industry's role

All establishments conducting activities associated with vaping products are responsible for knowing and complying with the requirements under the TVPA, the CCSPA, and the Food and Drugs Act (FDA), as applicable. This includes prohibiting the sale of vaping products to young persons.

Health Canada expects vaping product establishments, including online establishments, to prevent young Canadians from accessing vaping products. This could include verifying identification for anyone looking to purchase these products to ensure the buyer is of legal age.

Retailers must also respect municipal and provincial/territorial rules and regulations regarding the sale and promotion of tobacco and vaping products, where they apply.