Tajikistan Weighs a Total Vape Ban as Upper House Chair Orders Draft Bill

Key points

• Upper house chair Rustami Emomali (Рустами Эмомали) has instructed officials to draft a bill for a total e-cigarette ban

• The proposal is framed as a public health measure and could cover both circulation and use

• Retailers are already cutting back on e-cigarette inventories as the policy debate intensifies

• WHO estimates over 100 million global users; Tajik health officials warn about respiratory harms and nicotine dependence

• Current tobacco-control law includes fines: 3–5 “calculation indicators” for illegal smoking and 50–100 for illegal tobacco sales; 1 indicator = 78 somoni

2Firsts, Jan 26, 2026

According to MIR 24, Tajikistan is seriously considering a nationwide ban on e-cigarettes. The chair of the upper house, Rustami Emomali (Рустами Эмомали), has instructed officials to prepare a draft bill. The proposal remains under development and review, but lawmakers are treating it as a key public health issue.

Retailers are already reacting. E-cigarettes were previously widely available, but some merchants have begun scaling back sales as expectations of tighter regulation spread. Retail worker Maksud Kholov (Максуд Холов) said purchases have fallen sharply from prior levels.

Public health concerns are also fueling the debate. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 100 million people use e-cigarettes globally. Makhmadrahim Nabizoda (Махмадрахim Набизода), head of Tajikistan’s national drug monitoring and prevention center under the Ministry of Health (Министерство здравоохранения Таджикистана), cited concerns that vaping may be associated with bronchitis, chronic bronchitis and allergic lung conditions, while nicotine can reinforce dependence.

Residents in Dushanbe (Душанбе), including Nekruz Yusupov (Некруз Юсупов) and Bakhtier Erov (Бахтиер Еров), voiced support for tougher restrictions.

Tajikistan already enforces tobacco-control rules that ban smoking in workplaces and institutions, hospitals, schools, public transport, airports and railway stations. Violations can draw fines of 3–5 “calculation indicators,” while illegal tobacco sales can be punished by 50–100 indicators. The standard is 78 somoni per indicator.

Photo credit: MIR 24.