Key Takeaways
- Vancouver Police recorded 104 youth-related bear spray incidents from January 1 to August 15, 2026, up from 83 a year earlier.
- Police visited 27 retailers and issued four bylaw tickets to three businesses, totalling $4,000.
- Vancouver requires retailers to verify ID, restrict access and keep sales records; bear spray cannot be sold to people under 19.
Bear spray is supposed to protect hikers from wildlife.
In Vancouver, police say it is increasingly showing up somewhere very different: incidents involving young people.
Between January 1 and August 15, 2026, Vancouver Police recorded 104 incidents involving youth and bear spray, including assaults, disturbances and weapons seizures.
During the same period in 2025, there were 83.
That works out to an increase of roughly 25% in a single year.
And now police are looking at one obvious question: Where are young people getting it?
Police Went Shopping — Sort Of
Vancouver Police’s Youth Investigative Unit recently visited 27 businesses suspected of selling bear spray, coyote spray or dog-repellent spray.
The goal was to check whether retailers were following Vancouver’s rules.
Under the city’s bylaws, bear spray cannot be sold to anyone under 19. Retailers must also verify identification, keep the product inaccessible to customers and maintain records of sales for 12 months.
Police found violations.
Three businesses received four bylaw tickets worth a combined $4,000.
Every business visited was also given information about the rules and how to comply with them.
This Problem Didn’t Appear Overnight
Vancouver has been dealing with bear spray misuse for years.
Police previously pushed for tighter retail rules after seeing the product increasingly involved in violent incidents.
The city responded with restrictions designed to keep legitimate access available for people who actually need bear spray outdoors while making it harder for young people to obtain.
The latest numbers suggest police aren't finished.
“Reducing youth access to bear spray is a priority,” VPD Inspector Dave Ballance said, adding that police hope enforcement will reduce assaults involving the spray.
The TwikUp Angle
Here’s what makes this story unusual.
The product itself isn’t the real problem — its use is.
Someone heading into bear country may have a legitimate reason to buy bear spray. A teenager carrying the same can around Vancouver presents a very different public-safety concern.
That leaves police trying to control access without treating every person buying bear spray like a potential criminal.
For now, Vancouver’s approach is focused on the checkout counter: verify the buyer, record the sale and don’t sell it to anyone under 19.
And with 104 youth-related incidents recorded in just over seven months, police clearly believe those rules are worth enforcing.