The view of Health Canada is that vaping is harmful and that young people and those who do not smoke should not vape; for adult smokers who have not managed to give up smoking using approved methods, switching entirely to vaping is less harmful than keeping on smoking. It must be stressed that ‘less harmful’ does not mean ‘harmless’ and the long-term effects are still not fully understood. The information on this page gives a report of what the current evidence shows in both directions without offering any conclusions of our own.

What Health Canada Actually Says

The guidance published by Health Canada contains a number of separate statements, and it is easier to understand them individually than as one overall message.

Vaping is not harmless. Health Canada states plainly that vaping can be harmful to your health.
It is less harmful than continuing to smoke, with conditions. Health Canada’s framing is specific: vaping is a less harmful option for adults who have been unable to quit smoking using approved cessation aids, and only if they switch completely. Partial switching does not carry the same reduction.
Youth and non-smokers should not vape. This is unambiguous in the guidance and is repeated across every Health Canada page on the subject.
The long-term picture is incomplete. Research on the health effects of vaping nicotine is ongoing, and most of what is known about nicotine itself comes from studying smoking.

As for the regulatory aspects of this matter, that is to say, what is legally allowed, the nicotine limit, and the requirements set by the rules, please refer to our guide on whether disposable vapes are legal in Canada.

What Is Actually in the Aerosol

The aerosol produced by vaping is not water vapour. As Health Canada states, it may contain nicotine, flavouring agents, propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, as well as chemicals which are formed when these ingredients are heated, such as formaldehyde and acrolein. Trace amounts of metals like nickel and lead can be given off by the heating coil.

Health Canada also says that vaping products contain fewer harmful chemicals than cigarettes and that second-hand aerosol contains considerably fewer chemicals than cigarette smoke. Both of these statements are correct: there are fewer harmful substances than with smoking and more than none.

The diacetyl question

Diacetyl, a flavouring agent associated with a serious lung disease known as “popcorn lung”, is often mentioned when talking about the risks of vaping. Researchers from Health Canada analysed more than 800 vaping liquids that had been collected in the country between 2017 and 2019 and discovered diacetyl in two of the samples. Health Canada has stated that up to now there have been no confirmed cases of popcorn lung caused by vaping in Canada.

It is important to make this point since the issue can be viewed in two ways: although the Canadian testing data does not support the idea of popcorn lung, this does not imply that the aerosol is free from other substances which in turn carry their own risks.

Nicotine and Addiction

Health Canada regards nicotine addiction as one of the main risks associated with vaping; since nicotine is addictive, people who had never used nicotine before can become dependent on it. The organisation points out that a smaller amount of nicotine is needed for teenagers to become dependent than for adults, and that nicotine exposure can have an effect on concentration, learning and emotional regulation in young people.

The maximum nicotine content for Canadian disposables is 20 mg/mL, which is the federal limit. Most of them use nicotine salt, since this form is more readily absorbed than freebase nicotine when the concentration is the same. For an explanation of what the figures mean, see our nicotine strength explainer.

Where the Evidence Is Genuinely Unsettled

In public discussion several things are stated with confidence even though the evidence does not at present settle the issue.

Long-term effects. Vaping products have not existed long enough, in their current form, for long-term outcome data to exist the way it does for smoking. Health Canada describes research as ongoing.

Population-level effects. Whether vaping reduces overall smoking rates across a population is contested, and separate from whether an individual who switches completely reduces their own exposure.

The “95% less harmful” figure. This number circulates widely and originates in UK expert estimates rather than Canadian regulatory guidance. Health Canada’s own language is “less harmful,” without a percentage. Treat specific percentages with caution regardless of which direction they point.

Dual use. Researchers have noted that using both cigarettes and vaping products does not reduce exposure to harmful substances in the way complete switching does. Health Canada’s “switch completely” condition reflects this.

Groups Health Canada Identifies as Higher Risk

Youth and young adults. Health Canada states that vaping increases the risk of cigarette smoking among youth and young adults, and that nicotine dependence can develop at lower exposure levels than in adults.
People who do not smoke. Health Canada’s position is that people who do not smoke should not vape. There is no risk-reduction rationale for someone who was not already exposed.
People who are pregnant. Health Canada states that vaping products expose both the user and the fetus to chemicals, including nicotine, that carry health risks.

What This Page Does Not Say

The reason we sell vaping products is that this page only includes reports on what regulators and researchers have published and does not give its own opinions. It must not be understood as advice to start vaping, to stop smoking, to switch from one product to another, or as a statement about the effects of vaping on any individual.

If you’re thinking about switching from smoking to vaping, that should be discussed with a physician, a pharmacist, or a provincial quitline, people who know about your medical history and who have no interest in selling you anything.

Sources

FAQs

Are disposable vapes safe?, No. Health Canada states that vaping can be harmful to health. Its position is that vaping is less harmful than continuing to smoke for adults who switch completely, which is different from being safe.

Do disposable vapes cause popcorn lung?, Health Canada researchers found diacetyl, the chemical associated with that condition, in two of more than 800 Canadian vaping liquids tested between 2017 and 2019, and state that there have been no confirmed Canadian cases of popcorn lung resulting from vaping.

Is vaping worse than smoking?, Health Canada’s published position is that switching completely to vaping is less harmful than continuing to smoke, for adults who have been unable to quit with approved aids. It also states that vaping is not harmless and that non-smokers and youth should not vape.

What are the long-term effects of vaping?, Not fully established. Health Canada describes research in this area as ongoing, and the products have not existed in their current form long enough for long-term outcome data comparable to smoking research.