Why have age verification measures become so strict online and in stores?

“ID again? But you know me!” As a specialized shop owner, I hear this phrase almost every day. I perfectly understand the frustration. You are an adult, responsible, and this check can feel infantilizing or even offensive. We often settle for saying “it’s the law,” a correct but incomplete explanation that only reinforces the feeling of administrative burden. The reality is much more complex and involves my responsibility at a level few customers imagine.

The truth is, this procedure is not a mere formality. It is the pillar of a vast control ecosystem put in place by Canadian health authorities for a specific reason: to curb youth access to vaping products. For a retailer, navigating this ecosystem is not an option; it is a sine qua non for operating legally. We are on the front line, with a fiduciary responsibility to enforce these rules, under penalty of sanctions that can jeopardize our entire business.

This article is not intended to justify a law, but to open the doors of our “backroom.” To show you, with the transparency of a rigorous professional, why this gesture that seems trivial to you is a critical procedure for us. We will deconstruct the inspection mechanisms, online technological requirements, the chain of responsibility that includes you, and the public health reasons underlying this entire structure. You will then understand that when we ask for your ID, we are not doubting you; we are protecting our business, yours, and the sustainability of a legal market for adults.

To grasp the full complexity of our obligations, this article details the various aspects of this verification system. From the field to online platforms, and the fundamental reasons for this rigour, each section reveals a facet of our daily reality.

How do inspectors catch shops that don’t ask for IDs?

One of the primary reasons for our vigilance is the control method used by authorities: compliance operations, often experienced as true “sting operations.” Health Canada inspectors or provincial agencies visit shops, sometimes using young adults with a youthful appearance, to test our reflexes. The goal is simple: to verify if the request for ID is systematic and rigorous. Failure is not an option.

The numbers speak for themselves and show that the risk is far from theoretical. A recent report from Health Canada reveals that during the 2023-2024 period, nearly 38% of specialized vaping shops inspected showed some form of non-compliance. This high rate justifies the constant pressure from authorities and explains why zero tolerance is the rule. A single oversight, a single second of inattention, can lead to a violation notice.

The consequences are not simple warnings. A Health Canada spokesperson was very clear about possible enforcement measures: they range from warning letters to much more severe actions. These include stopping sales, the seizure of products, and even criminal investigations in the most serious cases. For a business, this represents an existential threat. Systematically asking for your card is therefore not just a procedure; it is our first line of defense to ensure the survival of our company in this strict control environment.

Equifax or photo ID: why do websites require so much proof?

The rigour of controls doesn’t stop at the door of the physical shop. Online, the absence of direct human interaction makes age verification even more complex and crucial. A simple checkbox saying “I am over 18/19” is completely insufficient under Canadian law. Online retailers must therefore deploy robust third-party verification systems to establish with reasonable certainty that the buyer is of legal age. This is why you are often asked to provide a photo of your driver’s license, a selfie, or to go through services like Equifax or PatronScan.

These technologies are not chosen for pleasure, but out of necessity. They allow for cross-referencing your ID information with reliable databases or using biometric analysis to confirm that the person placing the order is indeed the ID holder. For us retailers, it’s a way to delegate this critical verification to a specialist and prove our due diligence in the event of an audit.

The following table summarizes common methods and explains why a simple declaration is not a viable option for a law-abiding seller in Canada.

In short, if the online process seems heavy, it’s because it is designed to replicate, and even surpass, the rigour of a face-to-face check. This is the price to pay for reconciling the convenience of e-commerce with the strict mandates of public health.

The “Straw Purchasing” mistake: do you risk a fine by buying for your younger brother?

Many adult customers believe that verification responsibility ends once they have proven their age. This is a mistake. The control ecosystem extends beyond the counter and also involves the customer’s responsibility. Purchasing a vaping product for a minor, a practice known as “straw purchasing,” is a violation of the law.

The federal Tobacco and Vaping Products Act is explicit on this subject. Section 8(1) clearly states that it is prohibited to supply such products to a young person under 18. Buying a vape for your younger brother, nephew, or a minor friend is not just a favor; it is an illegal act. You become a link in the illicit supply chain that authorities are specifically trying to break.

No person shall, in a public place or in a place to which the public has access, furnish a tobacco product or a vaping product to a young person.

– Section 8(1), Tobacco and Vaping Products Act

And this prohibition is not symbolic. Sanctions can be significant. A recent proposal from Health Canada aims to toughen penalties for this type of infraction. If adopted, providing a vaping product to a minor could lead to fines ranging from $100 to $2,000. This measure shows the government’s determination to hold not only sellers accountable but also those around the youth. As a retailer, we do our part by verifying the age of the direct buyer; society then expects that buyer not to become a supplier to a minor.

When to explain to your teen that Dad’s vape is not a toy?

Beyond laws and controls, protecting youth starts at home. Vaping is a harm reduction tool for adult smokers, but it should never be perceived as a harmless gadget by teenagers. As parents and responsible adults, it is our duty to have an open and honest conversation about the risks associated with nicotine, especially for a developing brain.

The situation is concerning. In Quebec, according to the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, approximately 18% of youth aged 15 to 19 reported vaping within the last 30 days in 2021. This figure demonstrates that despite regulatory efforts, vaping products are circulating among youth. This is why dialogue is so important. It’s not about demonizing, but educating on the reality: nicotine is one of the most addictive substances.

Approaching the subject can be delicate. Here are some key points, inspired by organizations like Drug Free Kids Canada, to guide the discussion:

• Explain addiction: Nicotine is highly addictive, and the impact is faster and more powerful on an adolescent brain.
• Clarify context: Make a clear distinction between an adult smoker switching to vaping to reduce risks and a non-smoker exposing themselves to a new risk of addiction.
• Discuss cognitive effects: Mention documented impacts of nicotine on memory, concentration, and impulse control in youth.
• Use current events: Law changes, such as the flavor ban in Quebec, are excellent starting points for discussion.
• Direct to reliable sources: Point your teenager toward factual resources from Health Canada or recognized prevention organizations.

The message must be clear: what is an informed adult choice to reduce an existing risk must never become an entry point to addiction for a young person.

Shady convenience stores: why reporting sales to minors protects legal vaping?

As a responsible adult customer, you have much more power than you imagine to clean up the market. When you witness a business—be it a convenience store, gas station, or even a specialized shop—selling vaping products to minors or offering non-compliant products (for example, with banned flavors in Quebec or nicotine levels exceeding 20 mg/mL), reporting it is not an act of “snitching.” It is an act of protection for the entire legal sector.

Every illegal sale to a minor feeds the statistics that push governments to impose ever stricter regulations, ultimately penalizing law-abiding retailers and their adult customers. Unscrupulous sellers create unfair competition and tarnish the image of an entire industry that, for its legal part, fights to be recognized as a harm reduction tool. By doing nothing, we allow the grey market to flourish and threaten the viability of legal vaping.

Reporting a violation is a civic gesture that helps authorities target their efforts where the problem is real. Health Canada actively encourages the public to report non-compliance. Your report can trigger an inspection leading to seizures and sanctions, thus helping to remove bad actors from the market.

By acting, you help preserve a regulated environment where adults can access controlled products and where youth are protected. It is a collective effort.

When and how must shops verify your legal age?

The golden rule for any responsible retailer is simple: age verification is systematic and non-negotiable. We must do it for every transaction, even if we saw you the day before. Why? Because the law imposes “reasonable” due diligence on us, and the only way to prove it is to apply a zero-tolerance policy. Appearance is often deceptive, and many provinces encourage or mandate an “ID 25” or “Check 25” policy, where anyone appearing to be under 25 must present ID.

The legal age itself varies from province to province, adding a layer of complexity for retailers, especially online. A customer in Ontario must be 19, while a customer in Quebec or Alberta can buy at 18. We must know and apply the law in effect in the buyer’s province.

The table below illustrates this regulatory diversity across Canada, a reality we manage daily.

Most importantly, the law offers us a defense in the event of a charge of selling to a minor, but only if we have done our job correctly. As stated in the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act, we can be acquitted if it is proven that we attempted to verify the age by demanding and examining valid identification and had reasonable grounds to believe it was authentic. This notion of “reasonable grounds” is why we must be so meticulous. One fake ID that slips through, and our defense disappears.

A person shall not be found guilty of an offence under subsection (1) if it is established that they attempted to verify that the person was at least 18 years of age by requiring the person to produce a prescribed form of identification and examining it and had reasonable grounds to believe that the identification was authentic.

– Section 8(2), Tobacco and Vaping Products Act

Nicotine and adolescence: why is the official message so protective of youth?

All this regulatory arsenal and control ecosystem did not come out of nowhere. They are the direct response of public health authorities to a trend deemed extremely alarming: the rapid increase in vaping among youth who had never smoked before. The official message is so protective because science is clear on the particular vulnerability of the adolescent brain to nicotine.

Quebec data perfectly illustrates this urgency: between 2017 and 2021, the proportion of vapers among 15-19 year olds more than doubled, from 7% to 18%. This spectacular rise sounded the alarm and solidified the position of authorities: the primary objective must be to prevent a new generation from becoming dependent on nicotine through vaping. For public health experts, the potential benefit for an adult smoker must not come at the expense of the health of thousands of young people.

This position is strongly supported by medical experts. The Canadian Paediatric Society, an authority in the field, published a position statement with an unequivocal message. It explains that youth vaping is not a risk-free practice.

Vaping in youth is associated with an increased risk for tobacco and substance use, mental health disorders, lung and heart disease, and accidental injury.

– Canadian Paediatric Society, Position statement on protecting children

Faced with such warnings, it becomes clear that policymakers opt for a maximum precautionary principle. The severity of the controls you undergo as an adult customer is the direct consequence of this will to protect youth. It is a public health trade-off where the protection of the most vulnerable outweighs the convenience of others.

Why have your e-liquid bottles changed shape and mechanism?

The control ecosystem is not limited to who buys, but extends to the very nature of the product sold. If you’ve noticed that your e-liquid bottles are harder to open or that their packaging has changed, it’s no accident. It is another manifestation of the regulatory will to protect, this time against accidental poisoning of children and to limit the appeal of the products.

The vaping-associated lung illness crisis (EVALI) of 2019-2020 was a shock. Although mainly linked to illicit products containing THC, the fact that approximately 15% of cases involved youth under 18 reinforced the need to regulate containers more strictly. Child safety became a top priority, leading to the application of strict standards.

Concretely, federal regulations now impose several constraints on vaping products containing nicotine, which explain the changes you observe:

• Child-Resistant Containers (CRC): All containers must be equipped with child-resistant caps, similar to those on medications.
• Concentration Limit: Nicotine concentration is capped at 20 mg/mL to reduce the risk of acute toxicity in case of ingestion.
• Warning Labeling: Clear, bilingual, and visible health warnings must appear on every package.
• VPR Compliance: Products must comply with the Vaping Products Regulations (VPR), which govern their manufacture, sale, and promotion.

These measures, although sometimes inconvenient for the adult user, are essential safety barriers. They ensure that legal products on the market meet a minimum safety standard, radically differentiating them from counterfeit or black-market products that are subject to no control.

Ultimately, by choosing a retailer that scrupulously applies these verification rules and sells only compliant products, you are not suffering from an unnecessary constraint. You are choosing a responsible partner, supporting a legal economy, and actively participating in a system that, while imperfect, aims to find a balance between adult access to a less harmful alternative and the imperative protection of youth.