Over 30 Countries and Regions Globally Impose Total Prohibition on E-Cigarettes - Is It Effective?

In recent years, countries or regions such as China's Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Brazil, and others have successively enacted comprehensive regulations banning e-cigarettes in an effort to curb their circulation and use. Although these regulations reflect the government's concern and intent to protect public health, the reality shows that the sale of e-cigarettes has not completely stopped.

This phenomenon has raised questions among the public about the effectiveness of the ban: Is a total ban on e-cigarettes really able to be effective?

Countries and Regions where E-cigarettes are Banned

According to statistics from 2FIRSTS, a global data platform, over 30 countries and regions around the world have implemented bans on e-cigarettes.

• 21 Asian countries and regions:
  Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region), Macao (Special Administrative Region), Taiwan, China, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Iran, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Nepal, Oman, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Syria

• 3 in South America:
  Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay

• 3 in North America:
  Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama

• 4 in Africa:
  Gambia, Mauritius, Seychelles, Suriname

Is the Ban Effective?

In December 2013, 2FIRSTS conducted a several-day investigation, uncovering the underground network that emerged in Hong Kong after the ban on e-cigarettes. In this network, consumers either purchase counterfeit goods at low prices or pay nearly 10 times the price for authentic e-cigarettes.

The situation in Singapore is similar. Since the e-cigarette ban was implemented in 2018, the country has imposed strict restrictions on the sale, possession, and use of e-cigarettes. However, illegal trading networks remain active, and the number of e-cigarette users is still on the rise. According to The Straits Times on March 26, traditional cigarette consumption in Singapore has decreased while the usage rate of e-cigarettes has increased from 3.9% to 5.2%. Data from the Singapore Ministry of Health shows that the number of people arrested for possessing or using e-cigarettes in 2023 reached 7,838, an increase of 60% from 4,916 in 2022.

Other countries such as Thailand, Brazil, and Mexico have also implemented comprehensive bans on e-cigarettes, but they have not disappeared as a result. Smuggling and illegal trading activities are still rampant.

These cases illustrate that while the e-cigarette ban aims to create a "no e-cigarette" social environment, it has actually led to the emergence of a secretive e-cigarette black market, posing a new threat to public health and challenging social order.

Why is the Ban Difficult to Implement?

Singapore, a city-state with a land area of only 735 square kilometers, is still struggling to achieve a "no e-cigarette" policy despite strict enforcement measures. Generally, smaller countries are more efficient in implementing policy bans. However, Singapore shares a border with Johor State, a commercial center in Malaysia, which allows for the facilitation of smuggling activities. Smuggled e-cigarettes enter Singapore through Johor State and are then distributed to consumers through social networks and online platforms.

Looking at Hong Kong, due to its close geographical proximity to Shenzhen, known as the "fog city," the illegal transport network of e-cigarettes is able to operate more conveniently. This geographical characteristic leads to the underground circulation of e-cigarettes being difficult to fully monitor and control.

Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries are also facing similar challenges. In addition to geographical factors, the high cost of enforcement and consumers' continued demand for e-cigarettes are reasons why the e-cigarette ban has been difficult to fully enforce. These factors together contribute to the continued existence of the underground e-cigarette market, posing new challenges to public health and social order.

Furthermore, even in countries in the Americas such as Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, which are far from the supply chain end, the transportation of e-cigarettes has completely lost its geopolitical advantage. However, it has still developed a thriving black market under the ban.

Several industry insiders familiar with the e-cigarette market stated that in addition to the high enforcement costs that prevent regulatory agencies from attending to the issue, another factor is the "laissez-faire" attitude of the customs and regulatory authorities in these countries.

Many experts in the fields of tobacco control and harm reduction have raised concerns that a complete ban on e-cigarettes could lead to an increase in black market trade and other related criminal activities, making the feasibility and potential impact of a total ban on e-cigarettes a highly controversial topic. Currently, governments and research institutions around the world are actively conducting scientific research and policy discussions on whether e-cigarettes should be banned altogether or only certain specific types.

2FIRSTS will continue to monitor the developments in this field.