A council of London youth who have studied the vaping habits of their peers say new provincial rules that restrict the advertisement of vaping products inside Ontario convenience stores and gas stations don't go far enough. 

On Friday, Ontario announced new rules that would only permit the advertisement of vape and vape accessories inside vape stores and cannabis retail stores — both of which are only open to people who are 19 and older

"Restricting the promotion of vapour products will help prevent youth from being exposed and influenced by promotion in retail settings," Health Minister Christine Elliott said a release from the province Friday. 

The new rules, which take effect in January, bring vape products in line with the rules around promoting tobacco in the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, but do nothing to stop the torrent of online advertising and sponsored content youth see on social media such as YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram. 

'People have accounts just for vaping' 

"People have accounts just for vaping," said Aliana Manji, a grade 11 student at St-Andre Bessette. "It's teenagers vaping and making it look all cool."

"They inhale it and when they blow it out they can make shapes," she said. "They can make hoops with it and put their hands through." 

"People see it and they want to try it because they're doing these cool tricks and using these different flavours." 

Manji was among a group of 14 teenagers from across London, Ont. whose advice on the Human Environments Analysis Laboratory Youth Advisory Council (HEALYAC) informed research at a Western University lab.

She said many vaping companies will go so far as sponsoring vaping-related social media content, which teens see and then imitate.

"Vaping happens everywhere at school," she said. "Kids sit at the back of the classroom while the teacher is at the front of the class teaching and sometimes the teacher has no idea." 

'There isn't enough strict regulations in schools'

It's why HEALYAC has suggested that government not only crack down on vaping companies advertising to teens, but also give teachers and schools more authority when it comes to vaping on school property. 

"I think the major issue right now is that there isn't enough strict regulations within schools," said Eleanor Park, another one of the 14 teens who advised Western researchers studying youth vaping. 

Park said teachers are often powerless to stop students from vaping in the washrooms or in class, where sometimes vapers will even blow a cloud into the face of non-vapers. 

"It's not only degrading, but it's a health and safety issue," she said. "These kind of situations are happening because of the fact the government has not imposed any regulations on schools." 

Schools have no authority

Alberta and Saskatchewan are the only two Canadian provinces that still have no rules on e-cigarette advertising restrictions. (CBC )

Park said while the provincial ban on advertising in convenience stores and gas stations is a good first step, Ontario still needs to give schools more power to stop students from vaping inside its buildings.

"At this point even if a student is hiding two or three vaping products in their pockets, teachers can't really do anything even if that student is affecting other students," she said. 

Critics have also called on Ontario to limit the range of flavours of vaping liquids and raise the vaping age where vaping products can be purchased to 21. 

By putting regulations in place around the promotion of vaping products, Ontario now joins most other Canadian provinces in trying to curb the growing trend of young people vaping and becoming addicted to nicotine.

Now the only two provinces without any e-cigarette legislation are Saskatchewan and Alberta.