Canadian Vaping Association Says Flavour Bans Are a Gift to the Illicit Market

Ottawa, ON, Oct. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When a legal product is banned, organized crime is waiting to supply it. Just ask Quebec, The Netherlands, Australia and Mexico, countries that all have thriving illicit vaping markets because flavour options were taken away from adult vapers. Health Canada’s 2026 progress report, Delivering Results: Advancing Canada’s Tobacco Strategy, shows youth vaping has fallen from 13.2% in 2019 to 5.8% in 2024, surpassing its target of below 10% by 2025. Youth smoking has also reached a record low of 1.5%, down from 2.1% in 2019.