The City of Ottawa will join Toronto and five other southern Ontario cities in implementing business licensing requirements for the sale of vapour products.
As of Nov. 30, to start or continue selling vapour products – also known as vape or vaping – businesses will be required to obtain a license under Section 12 of the City’s Licensing By-law relating to Tobacco and Vapour Product Retailers.
Currently, vapour product retailers do not require a business licence in Ottawa, but businesses selling these products are subject to inspections and regulation under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, governing the sale, display and promotion of tobacco and vapour products. The new licensing requirements will put vapour products under similar scrutiny to tobacco.
The licensing fee for retailers selling either tobacco or vapour products is $930 per year. The annual licensing fee for retailers selling both tobacco and vapour products is $1,092 per year.
A licence requirement provides additional customer protections, addressing concerns related to public health and safety. It provides the city with additional tools to support ongoing enforcement of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act and respond to instances of regulatory non-compliance particularly in relation to the sale of vapour products to those under the age of 19.
The requirements come into place as concerns are mounting around the increasing number of young people using vapour products. A study published by the University of Waterloo in September found that one in four Ontario teens are vaping.
The results show that teenagers with disposable income, those who live in low-income homes, or those who are gender-diverse are more likely to use vapour products.
Vapes are increasingly filling the gap caused by a decrease in cigarette smokers, but have their own considerable health risks.
Vaping products contain either nicotine or cannabis, both of which can have dire consequences for young and developing brains. Nicotine can stunt brain development and can cause dependency for young people at smaller amounts than adults. Cannabis can also cause problems in the maturation of the brain, leading to impairment in memory, judgement and coordination. Cannabis is also linked to mental health symptoms such as increased anxiety and paranoia.
Vaping aerosols also contain other harmful chemicals which can cause problems for young people and other users alike. In addition to nicotine, vaping liquids typically contain glycerol, propylene glycol and chemicals used for flavouring; the long-term implications of inhaling these substances are unknown. Vapour products also contain some metal contaminants like nickel, chromium, tin, aluminum which are known to be cancer-causing.
The regulatory licensing requirement will come into effect Nov. 30.