Flavored vaping products have been missing from shelves since October 31st. They should have disappeared, but this is not the case everywhere as companies manage to circumvent the law.
TVA Nouvelles had the experience of going to a store to buy a flavored vape. Once you're inside, there's nothing complicated.
The seller explains that there are several flavors, mostly made up of fruits, and that the final choice falls on a “tropical” flavor.
After opening the package, the person conducting the experiment inhaled the vapor and confirmed that “it tasted a lot like fruit.”
We therefore see that the sale of this type of flavored product remains illegal. However, the word “tobacco” is clearly visible on the packaging and on the e-cigarette, but the tobacco taste for Quebec is enough to fool the authorities.
“It’s about all Canadian regulations. We have other provinces that have adopted similar regulations. We see how far the industry is willing to go to outwit and circumvent regulations. This should be a signal to Minister Holland, federal health minister,” said Quebec Coalition on Tobacco Control spokesman Flory Doucas.
The other phenomenon observed is the addition in specialized stores of small flavored bottles without nicotine: flavor enhancers. In other words, the flavor that goes into the vapor but is sold separately.
“My fear is not for the people who buy these flavors in stores. My fear is more that we are sending the message to young people that we can flavor liquids,” added Quebec Vaping Rights Coalition spokesperson Valérie Gallant.
“I don’t trust these recordings. Maybe there is some diacetin when heated? I won't go into that. Some even ask me if they can add maple syrup,” explains Robert Belleville, owner of the Vapo Délice boutique in Trois-Rivières.
He sees several flaws in the law passed in October and wonders why the government did not expect this?
“They have failed royally because if they had looked at their own legislative text, they would have seen that this is what we are heading towards,” he lamented.
The Trois-Rivières police remind you that the sale of flavored e-cigarettes is prohibited, particularly through counterfeit labels. The dealers face fines.