Turkmenistan Tightens Crackdown on Illegal Tobacco and E-Cigarette Sales

On June 8th, according to a news program on Turkmenistan television, President Serdar Berdymukhamedov called for greater efforts to combat the illegal importation, sale, and use of cigarettes, tobacco accessories, hookahs, and electronic cigarettes during a meeting of the National Security Council.

The Minister of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan, Muhammet Hydyrov, presented the results of border control operations and the seizure of illegal tobacco products at a security committee meeting. According to reports, individuals involved in illegal smuggling have been punished in accordance with national law. The national television station reported that approximately 20 young people were arrested at the border last week for charges of smuggling tobacco, hookah, and electronic cigarette products.

After hearing the information, Berdimuhamedov emphasized the necessity of cracking down on illegal imports of cigarettes, tobacco accessories, hookah, and e-cigarette e-liquids sales and usage.

He emphasized that:

Our country is committed to making a contribution towards a smoke-free world. Thanks to the implementation of national policies, the anti-smoking movement has gained unprecedented scale and influence.

Berdymukhamedov proposed to implement strict control measures on the supply chain and take preventive legal actions. He has tasked the Minister of the Interior, military institutions, and law enforcement agencies to carry out coordinated actions to prevent the spread, use, and import of the product.

Previously, retail stores in the country removed disposable electronic cigarettes, electronic cigarette devices, e-liquids, and other parts from their shelves. However, there were no official regulatory documents released, and sellers only informed customers verbally that these products were banned from sale.

The antismoking movement in Turkmenistan began in 1998 with the prohibition of tobacco advertising. Subsequently, smoking was banned on university campuses. In 2000, smoking was banned in public places, on streets, in administrative buildings, and in military facilities, and two years later, smoking while driving was also prohibited.

In the spring of 2011, Turkmenistan joined the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and signed the 2012-2016 Turkmenistan Anti-Tobacco Plan six months later. In April 2017, the head of state approved the 2017-2021 Turkmenistan National Plan to implement the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

In 2022, the parliament of Turkmenistan passed a resolution to achieve a smoke-free goal by 2025.

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The President of Turkmenistan has demanded stronger efforts to combat the illegal import of cigarettes and hookah tobacco into the country.