A Global Legal Status
Please check if this article written in March 2015 is still current and valid before quoting us.
We have written a consensus country by country on vaping. We simplified it into three categories banned, permitted and unclear (which includes partial).
Electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, e-cigs and vaping are products sold as a smoking substitute. They don’t fall into the category of tobacco products or pharmaceutical products or even as a cessation product. Currently uncategorised they can be described as a product intended to deliver nicotine and or with flavour which can also be used as an alternative to smoking tobacco.
Pharmaceutical licenses are MA (Market Authorisation) to sell a product as a licensed medicinal product and to date no e-cigarette has such a license.
In some cases countries ban the commercial import but not the personal import of e-cigarettes and hence deliveries through the mail system are not affected.
Where is vaping banned? A Country by Country Status on Vaping
ARGENTINA – Banned.
AUSTRIA – Banned.
BRAZIL – Banned.
BRUNEI – Banned.
COLOMBIA – Banned.
INDONESIA – Banned.
JORDAN – Banned.
MALAYSIA – Banned.
MEXICO – Banned.
OMAN – Banned.
PANAMA – Banned.
SINGAPORE – Banned.
THAILAND – Banned.
TURKEY – Banned.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, UAE, including Dubai – Banned.
URUGUAY – Banned.
VENEZUELA – Banned.
Country by Country Status on Vaping : where it is permitted?
CHINA – Permitted; but may vary by region.
CZECH REPUBLIC – Permitted.
ESTONIA: Permitted
GERMANY – Permitted.
ISRAEL – Permitted.
ITALY – Permitted.
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF – Permitted.
LATVIA – Permitted.
MALTA – Permitted.
NETHERLANDS – Permitted.
POLAND – Permitted.
RUSSIA – Permitted.
TAJIKISTAN – Permitted.
UKRAINE – Permitted.
UNITED KINGDOM – Permitted.
UNITED STATES, USA – Permitted; but may vary by region.
Country by Country Status on Vaping : where it’s partial or unclear
AUSTRALIA – Partial permission. Permitted, if without nicotine.
BELGIUM – Partial permission. Permitted, if without nicotine.
CANADA – Partial permission. Permitted, if without nicotine.
DENMARK – Partial permission. Permitted, if without nicotine.
FRANCE – Partial permission.
E-Cigarettes and nicotine liquid are considered to be consumer goods regulated by general product safety regulations, unless they meet the criteria for medical licensing: if they claim to be for smoking cessation; or if the amount of nicotine in the cartridge is greater than or equal to 10 mg; or if the nicotine strength in a refill is more than or equal to 20mg/ml.
http://www.afssaps.fr/Infos-de-securite/Communiques-Points-presse/L-Afss…
FINLAND – Partial permission. Nicotine-free liquids and e-cigarette devices can both be sold in Finland.
GREECE – Unclear.
HONG KONG – Partial permission. E-cigarettes containing nicotine are classified as licensable poison products and prohibited.
IRAN – Unclear.
JAPAN – Partial permission. E-cigarettes with nicotine are banned because they are classed as unlicensed medical products.
MAURITIUS – Unclear.
NEW ZEALAND – Partial permission. Zero-nicotine products are permitted.
NORWAY – Partial Ban. The Norwegian Tobacco Act forbids the sale of new tobacco products and/or nicotine products, a classification that they claim encompasses ecig products. Imports from EU countries are generally accepted.
SOUTH AFRICA – Unclear.
SWEDEN – Partial permission. E-cigarettes and nicotine-free cartridges may be sold, but nicotine-containing refills are prohibited.
SWITZERLAND – Partial permission. Zero-nicotine products are permitted.
