Health advocacy group asks Ontario to tax vapes to cut down on teen use

A national health advocacy group is asking the Ontario government to hike taxes on vaping products to combat rising use among teenagers.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada has requested Premier Doug Ford's government include the new tax in its spring budget.

The group says a tax increase between 20 and 30 per cent would make the addictive products unaffordable for teenagers, while still allowing adults to use them to quit smoking. 

Three provinces have recently proposed or passed legislation to tax vape products — British Columbia, Alberta, and Prince Edward Island.

Health Minister Christine Elliott has said the government will be introducing new measures to curb rates of teen vaping later this month.

When asked about the foundation's proposal on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Finance said the government does not speculate about taxation policy.