Ottawa police seized 188 nicotine vapes from illegal storefronts in three raids over 10 days in October, as Health Canada concedes its own enforcement capacity has not grown in years.
Officers seized 124 vape devices, along with 72,720 cigarettes and about 13 kilograms of cannabis, at a Catherine Street shop on October 19, police said. A Preston Street business was searched on October 23 and again on October 29, yielding 40 and then 24 vapes alongside thousands of contraband cigarettes.
"Illegal cannabis and tobacco operations undermine the regulated market, expose consumers to unregulated products, and may contribute to other forms of criminal activity," the Ottawa Police Service said.
Health Canada's third legislative review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act, tabled in May, said federal enforcement resources were stretched. Although several new regulations have come into force since 2018, "federal tobacco and vaping compliance and enforcement resources, including for inspectors and laboratory services, have remained the same," the report said.
Online inspections of vaping product manufacturers, distributors, and specialty retailers found an average compliance rate of 8% from April 2022 to March 2025, and seizures remain the only tool Health Canada has to pull non-compliant products off the market. The review lists administrative penalties and recall powers as areas for potential action.
The stakes are high because vaping works. In a trial at 17 Canadian sites led by McGill University cardiologist Dr. Mark Eisenberg, 21.9% of smokers given nicotine e-cigarettes plus counselling had quit at 12 weeks, versus 9.1% with counselling alone. One-year results published in 2025 showed 23.6% versus 9.9%.
"These findings show that nicotine e-cigarettes are effective for smoking cessation in the short term," Eisenberg said when the results were first presented, while cautioning that vaping is "not a magic bullet."
The Canadian Vaping Association wants Ottawa to focus on retailer licensing, penalties for selling to minors, online age verification, and action against illicit sales rather than new bans.
"Health Canada has already implemented measures that have real results. Rather than pushing for more bans, shouldn't we be evaluating what's working and building on those successes?" said Canadian Vaping Association President Sam Tam.