Committee approves new licencing requirements for Ottawa businesses selling vaping products

Ottawa retailers that sell vaping products will face new licencing requirements this fall, as the city looks to crack down on the sale of vapour products to minors.

The emergency and protective services committee approved a new licence for retailers that sell vapour products on Thursday to "ensure public health and safety, as well as consumer protection." The new licencing requirements still require council's approval on Oct. 30.

The number of specialty-vape stores operating in Ottawa has increased from 19 in 2019 to 71 stores as of July 2024, while over 300 licenced tobacco vendors are also known to sell vapour products in the capital.  While tobacco vendors are required to obtain a licence from the city, businesses that sell vaping products do not require a licence.

The owner of Clear Sky Vapes warned new licencing requirements will not stop young people from accessing vaping products.

"Youth will experiment and it is problematic. If people had to go to 19 plus vape shops in order to get vapour products, and that was the only avenue, then I completely agree with you it would make sense to regulate them very heavily," Ron Couchman told the committee.

"Eighty per cent of youth that order vapour products order them direct from China, get them shipped to the house and it costs them absolutely nothing."

Staff say the new licencing regime will ensure that that vapour product retailers comply with all federal, provincial and municipal regulations.

"The creation of a licencing requirement will allow for additional inspections and oversight and increase accountability for retailers," staff say. "New enforcement tools will also be available to address situations of non-compliance."

In the first six months of 2024, the city issued 28 charges to retailers for selling vapour products to minors, compared to 41 charges in the full year of 2023 and 31 in 2022.  Ten charges were issued in the January to June period of 2024 for youth accessing specialty vape stores.

Under the Smoke Free Ontario Act, access to vape stores is restricted to persons over the age of 19, and the sale of tobacco and vapour products is permitted to people under the age of 19.

The new fee for retailers selling only vapour products would be $930 a year, while retailers selling both tobacco and vapour products would have to pay an additional $162 a year for the vapour products licence. The current licencing fee for retailers selling tobacco products only is $930. If approved by council, the new licence will take effect on Nov. 30.