Quebec Vape Flavour Ban 2026: What Is Legal?

By ChillPuffs Editorial Team · Last updated: September 2026 · Sources: Gouvernement du Québec · INSPQ

Quebec has some of the strictest vaping regulations in Canada. For adults trying to understand what vapes are legal in Quebec in 2026, the most important point is that legality depends on the complete product—not only its nicotine strength.

A product’s flavour, nicotine concentration, liquid capacity, packaging, design and method of sale can all affect whether it may be legally sold in the province. This guide explains the Quebec vape flavour ban, the rules that apply in Montreal and throughout Quebec, and the common misconceptions that may lead shoppers or retailers into non-compliance.

Quebec Vape Law Timeline

Date	Event	What It Means
November 26, 2015	Quebec expanded its tobacco-control law to vaping products	Electronic cigarettes, with or without nicotine, became subject to many of the same rules as tobacco products.
July 2021	Federal nicotine concentration limit took effect	Vaping products sold in Canada cannot contain more than 20 mg/mL of nicotine.
October 31, 2023	Quebec’s new vaping regulation took effect	Quebec prohibited non-tobacco flavours and introduced limits covering pods, tanks, refill bottles, labelling and youth-appealing designs.
2026	Quebec flavour ban remains in force	Tobacco flavour and unflavoured products remain the only permitted flavour categories, provided all other requirements are met.

What Vapes Are Legal in Quebec in 2026?

The following table summarizes the main Quebec vaping rules. A product must meet all applicable requirements. Complying with one limit does not make an otherwise prohibited product legal.

Product or Action	Status	Explanation
Tobacco-flavoured vaping product	✓ Potentially legal	The flavour is permitted, but nicotine, capacity, packaging, design and retail-sale requirements still apply.
Unflavoured vaping product	✓ Potentially legal	Quebec permits products without flavour or aroma, subject to the remaining requirements.
Fruit, candy, dessert, beverage or cooling flavour	✗ Illegal to sell	Quebec prohibits flavours and aromas other than tobacco.
Mint or menthol vape	✗ Illegal to sell	Mint and menthol are not exemptions under Quebec’s flavour restriction.
Nicotine above 20 mg/mL	✗ Illegal to sell	Federal and Quebec rules limit nicotine concentration to 20 mg/mL.
Pod, cartridge or tank above 2 mL	✗ Illegal to sell	Quebec limits the liquid capacity of a tank, reservoir, cartridge or pod to 2 mL.
Refill bottle above 30 mL	✗ Illegal to sell	A refill container cannot hold more than 30 mL.
Youth-appealing shape or function	✗ Illegal to sell	Products cannot resemble toys, jewellery, food, animals or fictional characters, or otherwise appeal to minors.
Sale to a person under 18	✗ Illegal	A minor cannot purchase a vaping product, and an adult cannot purchase one for a minor.
Standard online retail sale for delivery into Quebec	✗ Generally not permitted	Quebec’s retail framework requires the transaction to occur at a physical point of sale with the buyer present.

Are Flavoured Vapes Banned in Quebec?

Yes. The Quebec vape flavour ban prohibits the sale of vaping products containing a flavour or aroma other than tobacco.

The restriction does not apply only to sweet flavours or products specifically marketed to teenagers. In practice, fruit, candy, dessert, beverage, floral, spice, mint, menthol and cooling or “ice” profiles are prohibited from retail sale in Quebec.

Two flavour categories remain potentially legal:

• Tobacco-flavoured vaping products
• Products without any flavour or aroma

These products must still comply with all other requirements. They must contain no more than 20 mg/mL of nicotine, use a pod or tank with no more than 2 mL of liquid, and use refill containers no larger than 30 mL.

Required information must also appear on the product and packaging, including the nicotine concentration, liquid volume and whether the product is tobacco-flavoured or unflavoured.

For the official wording, review the Quebec government’s tobacco-control guidance .

Why a 20 mg/mL Vape Can Still Be Illegal in Quebec

One of the most common mistakes is checking only the federal nicotine limit. Canada’s national maximum is 20 mg/mL, but Quebec adds separate requirements covering flavour, liquid capacity, packaging, product design and method of sale.

A disposable vape containing 20 mg/mL of nicotine can still be prohibited if it:

• Contains a fruit, mint, menthol, candy or other non-tobacco flavour
• Contains more than 2 mL of liquid in its pod, cartridge or tank
• Does not include the required product and packaging information
• Uses a design, appearance or function considered attractive to minors
• Is offered through a retail channel that does not comply with Quebec law

This distinction is especially important for high-capacity disposable vapes. Puff count does not directly determine whether a product is legal. However, many high-puff devices contain considerably more than 2 mL of liquid and therefore do not meet Quebec’s capacity requirement.

Consumers and retailers should verify the specifications of the exact Quebec-market product rather than relying on a brand name, model name or advertised puff count.

Can You Buy Vapes Online in Quebec?

Quebec’s tobacco-control framework treats vaping products similarly to tobacco products for retail-sale purposes. Provincial guidance states that retail sales must occur inside a physical point of sale.

Quebec’s offence provisions also address retail sales made outside a tobacco retail outlet and without the physical presence of the purchaser. As a result, a standard online checkout followed by delivery to a Quebec consumer is generally incompatible with the province’s retail model.

Adults should purchase compliant vaping products in person from a lawful Quebec retailer. Age restrictions continue to apply, and specialized electronic-cigarette stores that display vaping products must exclude minors and meet provincial operating conditions.

Retailers serving customers in multiple provinces should use province-specific inventory controls, shipping restrictions and product notices. A product that may be legally sold in Ontario or British Columbia is not automatically legal for sale or delivery in Quebec.

Which Vape Brands Are Legal in Quebec?

Quebec does not generally classify an entire vape brand as legal or illegal by name. Compliance must be assessed at the individual product or SKU level.

A brand could offer a Quebec-compliant tobacco-flavoured pod while selling other flavours or product sizes that cannot legally be sold in the province.

Brand or Product Type	Quebec Status	Reason
STLTH and similar pod brands	⚠ SKU dependent	Only tobacco-flavoured or unflavoured products meeting the nicotine, capacity and packaging requirements may qualify.
Vuse and other closed pod systems	⚠ SKU dependent	Brand recognition does not override Quebec’s flavour, capacity, labelling or sales-channel rules.
High-puff disposable vapes	⚠ Often non-compliant	Many contain more than 2 mL of liquid or use prohibited flavours.
Open-system devices	⚠ Assess separately	The device, tank and every e-liquid container must be checked against the applicable requirements.
Flavour enhancers or separate flavour products	⚠ Seek legal guidance	Do not assume that selling an additive separately makes a prohibited flavoured-vape transaction lawful.

Vaping Rules in Montreal and Other Quebec Cities

The provincial product and retail-sale requirements apply throughout Quebec. Municipal bylaws, property policies and venue-specific rules may add further restrictions concerning where vaping is permitted.

• Montreal: Quebec’s flavour, nicotine, capacity, age and retail-sale requirements apply. Vaping is prohibited in workplaces, restaurants, bars, terraces, public transit and bus shelters, as well as other locations covered by provincial law.
• Quebec City: The same provincial product and sales restrictions apply. Check local bylaws and site-specific policies before vaping in outdoor public areas.
• Laval: Quebec-wide product restrictions apply to retailers and consumers. A product sold legally in another province is not necessarily legal for retail sale in Laval.
• Gatineau: Crossing the border from Ontario does not change the rules governing retail sales and product use inside Quebec.
• Longueuil and Sherbrooke: Provincial requirements remain the baseline, but property owners and local authorities may impose additional restrictions on where vaping is allowed.

What Happened After Quebec Banned Flavoured Vapes?

A 2026 analysis from the Institut national de santé publique du Québec examined sales data from more than 1,600 convenience stores and gas stations.

The analysis reported that sales of fruit, mint and menthol vaping liquids in the covered stores almost disappeared after the October 2023 prohibition. Sales of tobacco-flavoured and unflavoured products increased, but did not fully replace the decline in other vaping-product sales.

The same analysis did not identify an increase in tobacco-product sales within the covered stores. However, the researchers noted that the data did not include every retail or informal sales channel.

Other information reviewed by the institute suggested that prohibited flavours remained available through channels not included in the sales study. This means the regulation changed the legal retail market, but did not necessarily eliminate access to prohibited products.

Read the complete INSPQ analysis of vaping-product sales after Quebec’s flavour ban .

Frequently Asked Questions

Are flavoured vapes banned in Quebec?

Yes. Quebec prohibits the sale of vaping products with any flavour or aroma other than tobacco. Products without any flavour or aroma may also qualify for legal sale if they meet all other provincial and federal requirements.

Are mint and menthol vapes legal in Quebec?

No. Mint and menthol are considered non-tobacco flavours and are included in Quebec’s flavour ban. The permitted flavour exception is tobacco, not tobacco plus mint or menthol.

What is the legal vaping age in Quebec?

The minimum age to purchase vaping products in Quebec is 18. Selling or giving a vaping product to a minor is prohibited, and an adult cannot legally purchase a vaping product on behalf of a minor.

Can I buy a disposable vape in Quebec?

Only if the exact product meets every Quebec requirement. It must be tobacco-flavoured or unflavoured, contain no more than 20 mg/mL of nicotine, hold no more than 2 mL of liquid, comply with packaging requirements and avoid youth-appealing designs.

Can a Quebec vape contain more than 2 mL if it is nicotine-free?

No. Quebec applies its vaping-product rules to electronic cigarettes with or without nicotine. The 2 mL capacity limit is a separate requirement from the 20 mg/mL nicotine limit.

Can vapes be shipped to Quebec from another province?

Quebec requires retail vaping sales to occur at a physical point of sale with the purchaser present. An out-of-province retailer should not assume that delivery into Quebec is lawful simply because the product is legal in the seller’s province.

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Official Sources

• Gouvernement du Québec — Tobacco Control Act and vaping-product restrictions
• INSPQ — Analysis of vaping-product sales following Quebec’s flavour ban