Flavoured vaping products in Québec: New data reveals strong presence on illegal market despite ban

MONTRÉAL, July 10, 2025 /CNW/ - Despite the provincial ban on flavours in vaping products, a new Leger survey reveals that flavoured products remain widely available in Québec—and are highly sought after by vapers.

Commissioned for a second time¹ by Imperial Tobacco Canada (Imperial), this survey was conducted between April 10 to 24, 2025 among 1,005 Québec adults aged 18 and over, 500 of whom currently identified as vapers.

Here are a few highlights from the Léger survey:

• 76% of adult vapers claim to have purchased at least one illegally sold vaping product² in the last 12 months. This is a marked increase of 8 percentage points over a similar survey conducted in the fall of 2024 (68%).
• The purchase of flavoured products in specialty stores has also significantly risen, from 40% in 2024 to 52% in 2025, despite the ban.
• This increase coincides with a drop in online purchases, suggesting a shift towards physical outlets.

These findings are in line with an independent investigation conducted by the Journal de Montréal in May 2025, which revealed that banned vaping products remain readily available on the illegal market.

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¹ It should be noted that an initial measurement was carried out from October 10 to 15, 2024 among 1,002 respondents, including 500 current vapers. An identical methodology was used for both surveys to ensure a reliable comparison between the two.

² Illegal products are: flavoured products other than tobacco-flavoured products, closed systems over 2 ml and open systems over 30 ml.

Call for better law enforcement

"We are deeply concerned about the health risks posed by illegal vaping products. Québec cannot afford an EVALI-type crisis, which caused over 2,800 hospitalizations and 68 deaths in the United States. While not all players are following the rules, our company fully complies with current Québec laws aimed at protecting young people from vaping, and we remain committed to doing things the right way," stated Éric Gagnon, Vice President, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Imperial. "However, this policy must be rigorously enforced in order to ensure that public health objectives are met. The numbers speak for themselves: the illegal market is thriving, endangering young people and consumers in general. notably because these products are sold without age verification, evade all regulation, have unknown composition, and do not comply with any quality or safety standards."

Imperial is reaching out to government and health groups to put an end to illegal sales and protect public health. The company proposes five recommendations:

1. Increase inspections – Inspections must be increased, and heavier penalties should be issued to those who break the law.
2. Create a program like Accès Tabac – Accès Tabac was implemented to reduce the illegal sale of tobacco and has proven effective. A similar program focused on vaping would empower law enforcement to act against offenders and could help control the problem of illegal vaping products.
3. Establish a mechanism to report violators – Provide adult Quebecers and compliant retailers with tools to report vape shops that are selling illegal vaping products.
4. Educate Quebecers on the risks of illicit vaping products – These unregulated products, manufactured without adhering to quality and safety standards, pose a significant health risk to consumers. 
5. Add a controlled distribution point for flavoured products – Without removing vaping products from corner stores and convenience retailers, the government could consider a complementary model—similar to the SQDC—to offer flavoured nicotine products in a strictly regulated environment. In addition, mint and menthol flavors, which are widely consumed by adults in their journey to quit smoking, should also be available in convenience stores. This would help meet demand while limiting the growth of the illicit market.

"This survey lays out in black and white what we all knew. The vaping regulations in Quebec are not doing anything, except creating a thriving illicit market. There is still time to fix it, but we have to work together and the government needs to listen to everyone, including the vaping industry", concluded Gagnon.

To consult the detailed results of the 2024 Léger survey, click here.

About Imperial Tobacco Canada

Imperial Tobacco Canada is Canada's leading tobacco and nicotine product company and is part of the international BAT group. BAT's mission is to create A Better Tomorrow™ by Building a Smokeless World. We envision a future where smokeless products will replace cigarettes, thereby encouraging smokers to adopt better habits.

Imperial is committed to advancing tobacco harm reduction through transparency, innovation and collaboration. These initiatives include Omni^TM, a platform developed by our parent company BAT to support stakeholder education and engagement in tobacco harm reduction. Omni^TM is a dynamic resource for those working towards a tobacco-free future.

About Leger

Leger is the largest Canadian-owned market research and analytics company, with more than 300 employees in eight Canadian and U.S. offices. The company has been working with prestigious clients since 1986. For more information: https://leger360.com/ 

SOURCE Imperial Tobacco Canada

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