The Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis on Tuesday passed in the first reading a draft law proposing a total ban on electronic cigarettes in Uzbekistan.
The document proposes prohibiting the circulation (production, manufacture, storage, transportation, import into Uzbekistan and export) of electronic nicotine delivery systems, including e-cigarettes (vapes) and their liquids.
The draft law also establishes liability for violations related to the illegal circulation of smokeless tobacco products and nicotine consumption devices, including e-cigarettes.
During the discussion, the deputies noted that e-cigarettes contain, in addition to nicotine, 80 different carcinogenic and toxic chemical compounds and heavy metals that cause serious harm to human health and the environment. The increasing nicotine dependence in the body can lead to the formation of pathological brain structures, reduced intelligence and impaired learning abilities in children and adolescents, they said.
Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health published the draft law for public discussion in April 2024, proposing the ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco systems.
The ministry noted that in recent years, “modern” or “innovative” types of nicotine and tobacco products had entered the country, leading to an increase in their use among the population, particularly youth and children.
From 2021 to 2023, Uzbekistan imported 5.4 million e-cigarettes worth $28.5 million, an 80-fold increase compared to previous years (in 2018, 182,000 e-cigarettes worth $349,000 were imported). During this period, law enforcement agencies prevented the smuggling of 105,300 such products worth 11.8 billion soums ($138,950).
According to the Ministry of Health’s analysis, teenagers and young people are 3 times more likely to use e-cigarettes than adults. Among the population aged 18−29, the level of usage of heated tobacco systems is more than 2.5 times higher than among those aged 30−69.
E-cigarette circulation is regulated in nearly 120 countries, with about 40 banning their circulation entirely.
“Restrictions on e-cigarettes exist in 32 countries, so why shouldn’t we introduce restrictions? Experts speak about their significant impact on the gene pool,” Milliy Tiklanish party leader Alisher Kadirov said in 2021.
“We consider this important because the negative effects of e-cigarettes on the human body are still not fully understood. Their primary users are young people,” deputy Nodirbek Tilavoldiyev of Milliy Tiklanish said.
He reminded that such a ban was implemented in many countries, including neighboring ones. “I believe we are on the right path,” he added.
