Tobacco and Vapour Products Retailer Convictions

The Porcupine Health Unit is mandated to carry out inspections and respond to complaints regarding retailers to enforce the Smoke-Free Ontario Act (SFOA), 2017.

There are several penalties that a retailer could face for violating the SFOA, 2017. Retailers have a legal responsibility to ensure that they and their employees understand and comply with the requirements under the SFOA, 2017.

Tobacco products include:

• Cigarettes;
• Cigars;
• Cigarillos;
• Pipe tobacco;
• Heat-Not-Burn tobacco (heat sticks or capsules); and
• Other specialty tobacco products (including chewing tobacco, snus and snuff).

Vapour products include:

• Electronic cigarettes and components;
• E-liquid (e.g.,‘e-juice’); and
• E-liquid pods.

Certain activities prohibited under the Act are considered offences. These include:

• Selling or supplying tobacco or vapour products to someone under the age of 19;
• Failing to request identification from someone appearing to be less than 25;
• Failing to post the mandatory Age Restriction and Identification signs;
• Selling tobacco not packaged in accordance with the regulations;
• Selling tobacco, vapour products, or prescribed products or substances in a vending machine;
• Some activities related to selling unmarked cigarettes under the Tobacco Tax Act.

If you require further information about these investigations, please feel free to contact the Duty Inspector at (705) 267-1181, toll free 1 (866) 461-1818 or by e-mail [email protected].

There are no convictions at this time.