Reducing smoking and vaping – rules and enforcement

Overview

The Tobacco, Smoking and Vaping Reduction Act (TSVRA) and regulation will help reduce the health harms associated with smoking and second-hand smoke, and address the rise in youth vaping.

In Alberta, teen vaping rates rose to 30% in 2018-19 among students in grades 10 to 12. Current evidence shows that vaping has immediate and long-term health risks such as lung damage, nicotine poisoning and addiction.

The new rules will make it harder to get and use tobacco and vaping products. This will help Alberta’s youth be healthier and ultimately reduce smoking and vaping-related health costs.
Albertans are encouraged to learn more about the harms of using tobacco and vaping products at Alberta Quits.

Rules and enforcement

The TSVRA and regulation include enforceable restrictions on tobacco and vaping products to:

• establish a minimum age (18 years and older) and government-issued photo identification requirements for purchasing, possessing and consuming tobacco and vaping products
• restrict advertising, display and promotion of tobacco and vaping products in convenience stores and gas stations
• align and expand where vaping and tobacco products cannot be used, including:
  • hospital, school and childcare properties
  • playgrounds, sports and playing fields
  • skateboard and bicycle parks
  • zoos, outdoor theatres
  • public outdoor pools and splash pads
• limit where vaping products cannot be sold to align with tobacco restrictions, including:
  • health facilities
  • public post-secondary institutions
  • stores where pharmacies are located
  • vending machines or temporary facilities

Retailers

The toolkit and signage below will help retailers be compliant with the new requirements established by the TSVRA and regulation:

• Employer and Employee Checklists (PDF, 809 KB)
• Retailer Toolkit (PDF, 6.9 MB)
• Regulation Highlights (PDF, 782 KB)
• Signage:
  • Prohibiting Sales to Minors (PDF, 245 KB)
  • Smoking or Vaping Permitted (PDF, 315 KB)
  • Smoking or Vaping Not Permitted (PDF, 518 KB)

Fines

Changes to the Procedures Regulation establishes fines for vaping violations in alignment with existing tobacco fines.

Fine: $100

• minors possessing or consuming a vaping product

Fine: $250

• vaping in a prohibited place
• an individual selling or giving a vaping product to a minor

Additionally, changes to the Procedures Regulation increase the potential fines levied on retailers who violate the act and regulation. The fines will be:

Fine: $500 to $750

• selling or giving a tobacco or vaping product to a minor
• selling or giving a tobacco or vaping product to a person who appears to be under 25 without checking identification
• displaying a tobacco or vaping product
• advertising or promoting a tobacco or vaping product
• selling a tobacco or vaping product in a prohibited location

Fine: $500

• manager fails to post signs indicating it is illegal to sell tobacco and vaping products to minors

Enforcement

A Tobacco and Vaping Enforcement Team will ensure compliance with the TSVRA and regulation.
The enforcement team will:

• inspect tobacco and vaping retailers to ensure compliance
• provide education to retailers to help them meet requirements
• work with other enforcement agencies to coordinate enforcement activities across the province and respond to public complaints

The enforcement team is expected to be operational in the second half of 2021.

News

• Addressing the health harms of smoking and vaping (June 2, 2020)
• Tobacco, smoking, vaping review: MLA Jeremy Nixon (October 25, 2019)
• Tobacco Act review will address vaping (October 2, 2019)