Bill 125 explained in plain English

Bill 125 amends Ontario's smoke-free law to increase the legal age for buying vaping products to 21, ban the promotion and online sale of vaping products, restrict vaping product sales to specialty stores or designated rural stores with health board approval, and establish reporting requirements on youth vaping.

Bill 125 would make several changes to how vaping products are regulated in Ontario. The bill raises the minimum age to buy vaping products from 19 to 21 years old. It prohibits all promotion of vaping products in any manner. It bans the online sale of vaping products. Vaping products could only be sold in person at specialty vape stores or at designated stores in remote or rural areas. Anyone wanting to operate a specialty vape store or sell vaping products at a designated store would need approval from their local board of health first. Boards of health would consider impacts on public health and proximity to schools when deciding whether to approve. The bill restricts what flavours of vaping products can be sold. Flavoured vaping products would be prohibited unless they are tobacco flavoured. It also restricts the strength of nicotine in vaping products—pods or liquids cannot contain more than 20 milligrams of nicotine per millilitre, and other vaping products must meet prescribed nicotine limits. Specialty vape stores would have rules: people under 21 cannot go inside, and anyone who looks under 25 must show ID proving they are at least 21. The bill allows vaping product sampling in specialty vape stores but only if regulations permit it and only with a maximum of two people sampling at a time. It adds new offences and penalties, including a fine of up to $5,000 per day for violations related to selling vaping products online, operating a specialty vape store without approval, or selling at a designated rural store without approval. Tax revenue from vaping product sales (if any) could be used for public education about vaping health risks, provided the legislature approves funding. Ontario Health would be required to prepare an annual report to the Minister about youth vaping with information to help develop policies to reduce youth vaping. The bill would come into force 120 days after it receives Royal Assent.