Tobacco Asia

tobaccoasia 31 PRODUCT NEWS 产品新闻 Marketing and promotional activities will face broader limits. Online advertising, exterior retail displays, sponsorship of vape exhibitions, and promotional events will no longer be permitted. Sales through e‑commerce platforms or social media channels will also be prohibited, with promotion allowed only in designated areas inside licensed retail stores. The amendments further strengthen controls on unat‑ tended vending machines. Operators will need to comply with stricter location rules and install mandatory age‑verification systems. From February 2026, authorities will gradually ban tobacco vending machines in educational protection zones. Quebec Flavor Ban Backfires Imperial Tobacco Canada said Quebec took more than two years to acknowledge flaws in its ban on flavored vaping products, arguing that the delay allowed an illicit market to expand. The company pointed to the Report on the Implemen‑ tation of the 2020–2025 Tobacco Control Act as confirmation that the policy failed to deliver intended public health outcomes. Imperial said it repeatedly warned provincial authorities that weak enforcement would undermine the law. "Since the implementation of the flavor ban, Imperial has consistently warned the government that inadequate enforcement would enable a thriving illicit market," said Eric Gagnon, vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs at Imperial Tobac‑ co Canada. "The evidence clearly shows that the problems stem from those distributing non‑compliant products with no regard for legal requirements." According to the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) report, the government introduced the ban without a comprehensive implementation plan, allowing non‑compliant vaping products to circulate widely. Data cited from the Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec show that Quebec's vaping market share now stands at 83.9%, highlight‑ ing the scale of the issue. Imperial said it welcomed the government's proposed measures to curb illegal sales but called for immediate action. "We appreciate the measures identified by the government to restrain the sale of illegal products, but it's time to act immedi‑ ately to turn these recommendations into real solutions. This problem has lasted too long and continues to get worse." In a separate statement, the Coalition Québécoise Pour le Contrôle du Tabac (CQCT) said the ministry recognizes that efforts to bypass the flavor ban extend beyond organized black‑market actors. The coalition noted that manufacturers, specialty retailers, and both physical and online sellers also distribute flavored vaping products, creating unfair competi‑ tion for compliant companies. Imperial said it supports the coalition's proposals to modernize the law, establish a cyber‑surveillance unit, strength‑ en oversight of sales, tighten promotional restrictions, increase seizures of illegal products, accelerate administrative processes, and impose heavier fines. "Instead of opposing calls for the government to enforce the law, it's time for the CQCT to move beyond outdated preconceptions and work construc‑ tively with the industry to eliminate the illegal market and genuinely protect young Quebecers–the very goal it has claimed to pursue from the start," Gagnon said. Imperial urged the government to focus on what it described as the report's central conclusion: only a robust enforcement strategy aimed at illicit supply chains can protect youth and restore control of the vaping market. The company said it remains committed to working with stakeholders on practical, long‑term solutions. Canada: BC Sues Juul Labs British Columbia has launched a civil lawsuit against Juul Labs, accusing the e‑cigarette maker of developing highly addictive nicotine products and driving youth nicotine addiction through what the province calls "deceptive marketing practices." Attorney general Niki Sharma said Friday that the province filed the claim in the BC Supreme Court under the newly enacted Vaping Product Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act (VPRA). The law, passed in December 2025, mirrors legislation previously used to pursue tobacco and opioid manufacturers and allows the government to seek compensation for alleged public health harms linked to vaping products. "This lawsuit marks the first claim brought under the VPRA," Sharma said in a written statement. "It will not be the last." She added that the province is also reviewing the conduct of other manufacturers and wholesalers for potential legal action. "BC has never shied away from standing up to power‑ ful corporations when their actions put profits ahead of people's health," Sharma said. The province alleges that Juul played a leading role in shaping the vaping market and targeted young people through misleading marketing. Sharma claims the company prioritized profits over health by promoting products designed to appeal to youth, including the use of nicotine salts and flavors. "The Province is taking action to hold Juul accountable for its role in fueling an epidemic of youth addiction," she said. The allegations remain unproven in court. Juul Labs rejected the claims and said its mission focuses on helping adult smokers move away from combustible cigarettes. "Juul Labs is on a mission to transition the world's billion adults who smoke away from combustible cigarettes, eliminate their use, and combat underage use of our products," a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Juul said the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the sale of its products in the United States earlier this year. In June, FDA approved the marketing of five Juul products following what the agency described as an "extensive scientific review," finding they met legal standards and could benefit adults who switch from cigarettes to "a potentially less harmful product." The San Francisco‑based company said it has met or "exceeded" all Canadian regulatory requirements since entering the market in 2018, including marketing and labeling rules under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act. Juul also said it aims to offer a "smokefree" alternative for Canada's 3.5 million adult smokers while preventing underage use. Premier David Eby said BC is the first province to adopt legislation holding vape companies accountable, noting the province previously led legal action against tobacco firms. A nationwide tobacco settlement totaling C$32.5 billion (US$23.43 billion; US$1.00=C$0.72). will deliver C$3.6 billion to B.C. over 18 years, including an initial payment of nearly C$1 billion earlier this year.

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