April 21 - An industry group says the Quebec government's ban on flavored vape cartridges will lead to the closure of 400 vape shops across the province, according to reports.

David Levesque, spokesman for Alliance des boutiques de vapotage du Quebec, said the e-cigarette industry generates $300 million in economic byproducts and the province's 400 vcigarette boutiques employ more than 2,200 people.

Announcing the ban on Wednesday, Christian Dube, Quebec's health minister, said the only e-cigarette pack flavors allowed in the province were tobacco flavors. The industry considers other flavors to account for the majority of its sales.

Government regulations allow for a 45-day consultation period, but stores must stop selling the cones within 90 days.

Dube justified the regulation by saying the goal was to protect young people.

Government statistics found that the percentage of young people using e-cigarettes grew from 4 percent in 2013 to 21 percent in 2019. The minister admitted that he had expected the code to push buyers to other markets, particularly online.

Alliance des boutiques de vapotage du Quebec predicts organized crime and websites in Ontario and First Nations stores will fill the supply gap in a few days.

The coalition wants the province to work out a compromise solution that would limit young people's access to vaping products while allowing stores to remain open.

The province's 400 vape boutiques employ more than 2,200 people.