Ottawa, Canada, plans to tighten controls on the sale of vapes, requiring retailers to obtain a sales license. The city government plans to deal with shortages of manpower and funds. By enforcing this measure.
Canada’s Ottawa to push for vape sales license
According to Radio-Canada on October 20, the city of Ottawa, Canada, plans to require retailers of vape brands to obtain a license to sell them by the end of November. The move is aimed at cracking down on illegal sales of vapes to people under the age of 19.
The license fee for selling vape brands is $930, the same as the license fee for selling tobacco goods such as tobacco. For businesses that sell both tobacco and vapes, licensing fees can be as high as $1,092.
Scheduled to enter into force at the end of November
Since 2019, the number of stores selling vapes has increased from 19 to 70. On Thursday (17th), the municipal administration revealed at the Protection and Emergency Services Committee that the increase was accompanied by an increase in the utilization rate of vape brands among secondary school students.
Roger Chapman, director of bylaw services for the City of Ottawa, said sales of underage cigarettes and vapes have risen in the last five years, while the number of supervisors tasked with overseeing the enforcement of laws on tobacco sales has declined.
Chapman stressed that the city of Ottawa has only two officers responsible for enforcing cigarette regulations, which is far from enough to effectively enforce provincial regulations.
David Kurs, director of policy development for the City of Ottawa Public Health Services, noted that the department has used its budget funds to supplement provincial funding to meet the goals, but unfortunately. The province is no longer providing additional resource support.
In 2020, the city hired four inspectors with funding support of $450,000, but only $250,000 this year. It is estimated that the income obtained from the issuance of vape sales licenses can hire a full-time license staff.
At the same time, the city government surveyed local vape retailers and found that more than half of them opposed compulsory licensing and related fees.
City staff recommended applying to the provincial government to strengthen the enforcement of existing laws. For example, businesses that have been sentenced at least twice within five years will be barred from applying for sales licenses.
Members of the Emergency Services Committee strongly support the recommendations and a mandatory license vote is expected to be presented to Parliament on October 30.
