Ontario government to ban vaping ads at gas stations, convenience stores starting Jan. 1

The Ontario government has announced it will ban advertisements and promotion of vaping products at places like gas stations and convenience stores.

Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said the hope is the ban will dissuade teens from vaping amid growing health concerns over the product.

“Restricting the promotion of vapour products in retail stores will help prevent youth from being exposed and influenced by promotion in retail settings,” Elliott said in a press release sent Friday morning.

The ban will take effect starting Jan 1, 2020.

The government said in-store promotion of vaping products will only be allowed in specialty vape stores and cannabis retail stores which are only open to people aged 19 or older.

“Vaping is not without risk, and the potential long-term effects of vaping remain uncertain,” said Elliott. “As we continue to engage with experts and families to identify further action we can take to protect our youth, this first step will help begin to curb the alarming increase in young people vaping.”

The province said the move comes following consultations with experts, communities and families concerned with youth vaping and its advertisements as “vaping among Ontario’s youth is on the rise.”

Vaping-related illnesses have been reported across the country including cases involving youth in London, Ont. and British Columbia.

In London, the youth had to be put on life-support and in British Columbia the youth had recovered, although health officials there are reviewing more similar cases.