Public Opinion on Government Regulation of E-Cigarettes in Kazakhstan
The Kazakhstani government announced on July 29th the complete ban of e-cigarette and e-liquid products. However, as of November 13th, the relevant ban has still not been officially issued.
It is noteworthy that despite the policy not yet being formally implemented, strict scrutiny on e-cigarette products has already commenced in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, since early August. This has led to multiple distributors having their goods detained. By mid-October, this scrutiny measure has forced the closure of several e-cigarette retail stores in Kazakhstan.
On November 9th, Kazakhstani media released a survey aimed at gauging public opinion on government regulation of smoke-free products.
According to the survey results, 65% of respondents believe that the current methods of tobacco and nicotine product regulation are outdated and advocate for the adoption of more updated approaches. Additionally, over half of the respondents feel that smokeless alternatives are subjected to similarly strict regulations as traditional cigarettes, which has led some users to revert back to cigarettes, thereby hindering the goal of reducing overall tobacco consumption.
During the investigation, respondents expressed their expectations for the government to regulate the nicotine market.
1. Certification: They expect e-cigarettes and other smokeless devices to undergo certification, which involves testing and inspection to ensure their safety and compliance with quality standards.
2. Packaging Warning: Consumers expect product packaging to clearly indicate the presence of harmful chemical substances, with less smoke compared to cigarettes, and containing nicotine, which is addictive.
Third, there is a call to restrict internet sales. Interviewees support banning the online sale of such products to individuals under the age of 21 in order to protect the health of minors. Despite physical stores already implementing age restrictions for purchases, online sales continue to persist.
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