Since October 31, the sale of vaping products containing a flavor other than tobacco has been prohibited in Quebec. However, many convenience stores and specialized stores thumb their noses at the law by selling a wide range of “flavor enhancers” which mix easily with “neutral” e-liquids.
Since they are considered food products, these flavored additives are offered to vapers completely legally. And flavors of desserts, confectionery or soft drinks, already banned before October 31, abound: S’mores, crème brûlée, chocolate fondant, carrot cake, hazelnut biscuit, Fusée popsicles, cola, etc. It is enough to incorporate these tasty contents into the base – nicotine or not – so that the spirit of the new regulation goes up in smoke.
“Customers even ask me if they can add maple syrup to their liquid,” worries Robert Belleville, owner of Vapo Délice, in Trois-Rivières. The merchant, who opened his business in 2014, fears a public health crisis in the face of the overbidding of perfumes in the industry since – paradoxically – the tightening of the law.
About one in three fourth or fifth secondary students vapes regularly, according to the Institut de la tourisme du Québec. And nine in 10 young people say flavors are an important incentive, says a 2021 survey by the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Mr. Belleville chose to stick to liquids without flavors and tobacco scents. The mission of his vape shop, he says, has always been to help his customers quit cigarettes, not to encourage recreational use among young adults.
“It is certain that I will lose customers who will go elsewhere to buy shots [liquides aromatisés], but it has become dangerous. I won’t go there. What exactly is in these flavors? Is there diacetyl, which is carcinogenic if inhaled? We do not know. »
Flory Doucas, spokesperson for the Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control (CQCT), describes the widespread adoption of perfume concentrates as “dismaying” and “disappointing”.
We have always seen that the industry adapted to regulations, both for conventional tobacco products and for vaping products. But to see so many traders going against the spirit of the law, to such an extent, surprises us.
Flory Doucas, spokesperson for the Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control
This is proof, according to her, that manufacturers and retailers “are at the heart of the problem of vaping among young people” and that they “prioritize profit [plutôt que] the health of the population.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Since October 31, 2023, the sale of vaping products that have a flavor other than that of tobacco has been prohibited in Quebec.
“It is clear that we are not going to see a reduction [de la consommation] taking into account the commercial practices that we currently observe”, regrets Mme Doucas. The CQCT fought fiercely for the abolition of perfumes in vaping products.
A generalized strategy
“Flavor enhancers” are part of a strategy adopted by many vaping shops in recent years in anticipation of tougher laws; these register in the Business Register as “convenience stores” or “general stores”. This vocation allows retailers not only to diversify their offering, but also to make their shelves visible from the street and open their doors to under-18s.
The stores, in return, must hide the vaping items.
Under their food guise, perfume bottles are often displayed in full view of children and adolescents alongside chips, sweets or juices.
This is the case for example in a “convenience store” specializing in vaping in Montreal, rue Sainte-Catherine, where a vast display of flavor concentrates sits alongside chocolate bars and sugary drinks.
Asked about the dosage to be respected between the nicotine liquid and three “enhancers” chosen at random, the saleswoman hesitates to step forward. “The Dropshots, you put half, the other two, it’s the whole bottle,” she ends up saying at the time of purchase.
The clerks of the shops that The Press visited, well aware of the gray area in the law, are initially cautious. Then tongues loosen.
When we ask questions about the mixtures in a vaping store in Lanaudière, the seller is slightly silent. “I’m not allowed to say too much, but you can read between the lines,” he slips, then guiding us in half-hearted words.
A third clerk, in a “vapoterie” in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve where boosters and treats are displayed, is more direct. “You can put half the bottle [d’arôme] in your nicotine neutral, but afterwards, if you want to add more, let’s go! »
At customers discretion
“Flavor enhancers are not products that are made for vaping,” argues David Lévesque, spokesperson for the Alliance of Vaping Shops of Quebec and co-founder of the distributor Digital Smoke Supplies.
“All the stores, knowing very well that they were going to lose a large part of their income after the regulation, decided to diversify. That means selling chips, chocolate, exotic things. Looking at an IGA, for example, which has a full row of flavored waters, many merchants have thought, with their expertise, to sell their flavors. Afterwards, what customers do with it remains at their discretion. »
Given the industry’s practices, “the government got it wrong,” believes Robert Belleville, of Vapo Délice. “Instead of solving a problem, they created one. It’s the same as before, except that there is less control over product quality,” he laments.
“It’s very worrying,” reacts Antoine de la Durantaye, press attaché in the office of the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé. According to him, “the law is clear” and includes flavoring products intended to be vaped, regardless of the place of sale. “We must all have the health of our young people at heart. We do it for them. »
The firm adds that it will ensure that “the Ministry’s inspectors analyze the situations raised”.
Candy and smoke
IMAGE TAKEN FROM THE VAPE SOCIÉTÉ FACEBOOK PAGE
The five Vape Société branches distribute free “exotic snacks” on Wednesdays.
Candy and vaping items have never gone so well together. In the greater Montreal area, Eurovap has expanded its stock intended for vaping to include snacks and sugary drinks. The VapeTown and Munchiz businesses – snack foods in English – also coexist at the same address. In Quebec, the defunct Cabane à boucane is now called Shack à Snack, which offers candy and products for smokers under a single roof. Also in the vicinity of the capital, the five Vape Société branches distribute free “exotic candies” on Wednesdays. Gaspé residents can now find the shelves of Snack Élite alongside Vap Élite. Across Quebec, Le Vape Shop has expanded its stock to include foods. In February 2023, the Association of Vaping Industry Representatives stated in a press release that it did not support “business models that combine exotic candy stores with the sale of vaping products”, a situation that she then described as “marginal”.