Tajikistan has banned electronic cigarettes and nicotine delivery systems, becoming the latest Central Asian country to outlaw their production, import and sale as part of a wider push to protect public health.
President Emomali Rahmon approved amendments to the country’s tobacco control legislation following their adoption by the upper chamber of parliament on 17 October.
The new rules ban the production, import, export, and wholesale and retail sale of e-cigarettes, vapes and nicotine delivery systems. Authorities say the ban is designed to protect public health, particularly that of children and teenagers. Penalties for breaking the new rules have not yet been announced.
Tajikistan’s decision follows a wave of similar bans across Central Asia. Turkmenistan outlawed electronic cigarettes in 2023, while Kazakhstan introduced restrictions in 2024, including criminal penalties for illegal sales. Kyrgyzstan banned the import and use of vapes in July 2025.
Uzbekistan has also imposed sweeping restrictions, covering the production, import, export, storage, transport, purchase and sale of electronic cigarettes and related liquids. Offenders face fines or prison sentences of up to five years.
A World Bank assessment based on a 2016 survey found that 6.3 per cent of Tajikistan’s adults smoked cigarettes, while 12.5 per cent used nasvay, a traditional smokeless tobacco product. Its use was considerably more common among men than cigarette smoking.
Tobacco smoking also takes a significant toll on public health. Estimates cited by the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction suggest it causes approximately 3,539 deaths each year in Tajikistan.
Tajikistan’s ban comes amid growing international restrictions on vaping. An estimated 37 to 46 countries have banned the sale, distribution or import of electronic cigarettes. They include India, Singapore, Thailand, Brazil, Argentina and several nations in the Middle East and Africa.
Elsewhere, governments have favoured tighter controls over outright bans. Australia, for example, restricts legal vape sales to pharmacies, with access governed by therapeutic-use rules. The United Kingdom, France, Belgium and New Zealand have introduced or are moving to introduce bans or restrictions on disposable vapes.
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