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Ministry of Health

Resources for Retailers: About Tobacco Sales, Display and Promotion

Tobacco laws restrict how tobacco and tobacco products can be sold, displayed and promoted.

Employers and staff should review the Tobacco Retailer Resource Kit (PDF 516K) for information describing their legal obligations when selling and displaying tobacco products.

Sales Restrictions

Places where tobacco cannot be sold:
Tobacco cannot be sold in publicly owned buildings such as hospitals and government buildings, or public post-secondary institutions. Pharmacies in privately owned buildings are not included in the sales restrictions. If you are a retail operator is located in a privately owned medical building, the retailer can continue to sell tobacco as the building is not included in the definition of “health care services” under the Act.

Tobacco cannot be sold to those under 19 years of age:
Retailers should refuse to sell tobacco if there is any doubt that the customer is at least 19 years of age. If a retailer is uncertain about the customer’s age, they should ask for valid photo identification.

The Tobacco Control Regulation says there are three forms of identification that should be used: a passport, a driver’s licence or other identification issued by a government agency that includes the individual’s picture and date of birth.

Note: A school-issued student identification cannot be relied on to verify age.

For more information:

Display and Promotion Restrictions

Tobacco products cannot be displayed or visible to minors - those under the age of 19 - inside any store. In addition, they cannot be clearly visible to a person outside of the store.

Tobacco cannot be promoted through such methods as manufacturers’ signs, videos, or logos on t-shirts, lighters, ball caps, etc. except as specified in the Tobacco Control Regulation.

The federal Tobacco Act also restricts advertising. For more information, see Health Canada’s website.

For more information:

Frequently Asked Questions about display and promotion:

What are the display restrictions for tobacco products?
Tobacco products cannot be displayed or visible to minors inside of your store. In addition, they cannot be clearly visible to a minor outside of the store.

The Tobacco Control Regulation does not specify how a retailer should ensure that the tobacco products are not visible. For guidance on options you might consider to ensure that tobacco products are not visible, see Some options for tobacco retail display (PDF  56K).

What are the promotion restrictions for tobacco products?
The only signage that retailers can use to advertise that they sell tobacco as follows:

  • The sign can’t be bigger than 968 square centimetres;
  • The sign can only use black lettering not more than 5 cm high, on a white background;
  • There can’t be any type of graphic or design on the sign, or use any symbol except the $ sign;
  • There can’t be any tobacco brands or manufacturer names on the signs;
  • The sign can only advertise the type of tobacco products sold, and the prices or price range.

What are the penalties and fines for not complying with the tobacco laws?
As a tobacco retailer, you could face administrative penalties, sales prohibitions, and fines if the tobacco display/advertising restrictions are not met. The amount and extent of these penalties have been set by regulation. See Contraventions for the penalties.

My retail operation is almost exclusively tobacco products catering to adult customers. How do I comply with the new tobacco laws?
Tobacco retailers have three options:

  • allow minors to enter the store, in which case they will no longer be able to have in open sight of or handle any cigarettes or other forms of tobacco or tobacco products - either inside or from outside of the establishment;
  • allow minors to enter the store generally, but exclude them from areas where tobacco is sold. In that case, they can display tobacco products only in that area provided that the tobacco products cannot be viewed or accessed by minors from anywhere inside the establishment, or by a person from outside (e.g. a window or open door);
  • do not allow minors to enter the store at all, in which case they can display tobacco products provided a person cannot view them from outside the establishment.