Smoking and Vaping Rules by Province and Territory
Key takeaways
Each province sets its own minimum age, smoke-free places and tobacco tax. The federal minimum age is 18; Ontario and British Columbia use 19 and Alberta uses 18. Tax per carton ranges widely, and we show only the figures we could read on an official page.
Four provinces have their own pages so far. Pick one for the details, or use the tables below to compare everything at once.
Province pages
- Ontario: age 19, Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 9- and 20-metre zones.
- Quebec: what we could confirm from official sources.
- British Columbia: age 19, six-metre buffer zones.
- Alberta: age 18, province-wide ban plus city bylaws.
Minimum age
The federal Tobacco and Vaping Products Act sets 18 as the floor; provinces can go higher. Details and history are on the legal smoking age.
| Province or territory | Tobacco | Vaping products |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 19 | 19 |
| Alberta | 18 | 18 |
| Saskatchewan | 19 | 19 |
| Manitoba | 18 | 18 |
| Ontario | 19 | 19 |
| Quebec | Not yet confirmed | Not yet confirmed |
| New Brunswick | Not yet confirmed | Not yet confirmed |
| Nova Scotia | Not yet confirmed | 19 |
| Prince Edward Island | Not yet confirmed | Not yet confirmed |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 19 | 19 |
| Yukon | 19 | 19 |
| Northwest Territories | 19 | 19 |
| Nunavut | 19 | 19 |
Each age links to the official page it comes from. The federal minimum is 18; provinces and territories can set a higher age. “Not yet confirmed” means we could not read an official page for that jurisdiction on the review date.
Tax per carton
The table shows government tax only, before sales taxes. For shelf prices by province see cigarette prices by province and tobacco tax rates.
| Province or territory | Provincial tax per cigarette | Provincial tax per carton | Plus federal excise | In effect since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | $0.325 | $65.00 | $103.92 | 2021-07-01 |
| Alberta | $0.3 | $60.00 | $98.92 | 2024-03-01 |
| Saskatchewan | $0.29 | $58.00 * | $96.92 | 2022-03-24 |
| Manitoba | $0.3 | $60.00 | $98.92 | 2019-06-30 |
| Ontario | $0.18475 | $36.95 * | $75.87 | 2018-03-29 |
| Quebec | $0.189 | $37.80 * | $76.72 | 2023-02-09 |
| New Brunswick | $0.2552 | $51.04 * | $89.96 | 2017-02-01 |
| Nova Scotia | $0.2952 | $59.04 * | $97.96 | 2020-02-26 |
| Prince Edward Island | $0.3 | $60.00 * | $98.92 | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $0.325 | $65.00 * | $103.92 | 2021-06-01 |
| Yukon | $0.37 | $74.00 * | $112.92 | 2026-01-01 |
| Northwest Territories | $0.344 | $68.80 * | $107.72 | 2022-08-01 |
| Nunavut | $0.4 | $80.00 * | $118.92 | 2025-03-12 |
Federal excise duty is $38.92 per carton of 200 cigarettes from 2026-04-01 (calculated from $0.97299 per 5 cigarettes). * Carton figure calculated from the per-cigarette rate. Sales taxes are not included.Download the table (CSV).
Where smoking is banned
Provincial law covers indoor workplaces and public places everywhere. What differs is the outdoor detail: patios, playgrounds, doorways. The provincial and territorial legislation comparison sets them side by side, and city bylaws add more.
Quit help
Each province runs or funds a free service. See free quit-smoking help by province.
In this section
Legal information only, not legal advice. Laws and bylaws change; confirm the current text in the official source before you rely on it. Read the full disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
Why do some provinces show Not yet confirmed?
We list a figure only after reading it on an official government page. Where a site was unreadable on the review date, we leave the cell marked rather than guess.
Is the minimum age the same everywhere?
No. The federal floor is 18, and provinces and territories can set it higher. See the table below.
Sources
- Report of the Second Legislative Review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Excise duty rates — Canada Revenue Agency. Accessed October 27, 2026.