Summer Overseas Travel Reminder: These Countries Prohibit E-Cigarette Use

Time flies, and summer vacation is here again. Many friends with annual leave or summer vacation will choose this time to travel abroad with their families. If you are an e-cigarette user, you need to pay attention: some countries allow the sale of e-cigarettes, while others do not. Be sure to comply with local laws and regulations!
 
Countries That Allow the Sale of E-Cigarettes

China: Allowed, but subject to regional differences. Shenzhen plans to include e-cigarettes in smoking control management, and national standards for e-cigarettes are currently being established, expected to be released by the end of 2019.

Costa Rica: Import, sale, and use are allowed, regulated as tobacco products. All transactions must verify age (only for adults over 18). Advertising is not allowed. Use in public places is restricted.

Czech Republic: Import, sale, and use of e-cigarettes are unrestricted.

European Union: Import, sale, use, and advertising are allowed.

Germany: Import, sale, and use are allowed. The highest courts in two states ruled that e-cigarettes and refillable e-liquids are not classified as drugs under the "Medicinal Products Act" or "Medical Devices Act." Germany is one of the countries with the most lenient regulations on e-cigarettes, with no special taxes on vapor products. Currently, eBay cross-border sales have some regulations on e-cigarettes, with only slight restrictions on advertising.

Indonesia: The Indonesian government announced that starting in the summer of 2018, a tax of up to 57% would be imposed on non-tobacco alternatives, including e-cigarettes.

Israel: Import and sale are allowed.

Italy: Import, sale, and use are unrestricted. Sales of e-cigarettes are prohibited for individuals under 18 (only applicable to nicotine-containing e-liquids).

Ireland: Import, sale, and use are allowed.

South Korea: E-cigarettes are considered tobacco products and are subject to tobacco control legislation. Taxes are high, and reports indicate that the retail price of e-cigarettes in South Korea is among the highest in the world. HNB products are very popular.

Latvia: E-cigarettes can be sold to individuals over 18.

Malta: Considered a tobacco product, sale and use are allowed, but e-cigarettes fall under the "Tobacco Act". They cannot be advertised, cannot be used in enclosed public places, and can only be used by adults over 18.

Netherlands: Import, sale, and use are allowed. The government attempted to impose a complete ban, but this was overturned legally: the Gravenhage court in the Netherlands legalized the import and sale of e-cigarettes and nicotine-containing e-liquids in a civil court case.

Poland: Import, sale, and use are allowed.

Russia: Import, sale, and use are allowed.

Tajikistan: The sale and use of e-cigarettes are currently unrestricted.

Ukraine: Allowed, but with restrictions.

United Kingdom: Import, sale, advertising, and use are allowed. There are some restrictions on advertising. As far as we know, the UK is currently the only country in the world with comprehensive and effective regulations on e-cigarettes. The maximum nicotine content allowed in e-liquids in the UK is 20mg/ml, and bottles containing more than 10ml of liquid must be child-proof and tamper-proof. The capacity of sold vaporizers cannot exceed 2ml.

United States: Import, sale, advertising, and use are allowed. The FDA has strengthened regulations on e-cigarette sales this year, raising the purchasing age to over 21 to control the problem of youth misuse of e-cigarettes and requiring e-cigarette manufacturers to remove flavored e-cigarettes from physical stores. IQOS e-cigarettes were recently approved for entry into the US market, with San Francisco becoming the first city in the US to ban e-cigarettes.

Colorado, USA: E-cigarette use is categorized the same as tobacco cigarettes. The purchasing age for tobacco and e-cigarettes has been raised from 18 to 21. Sales of fruit and dessert-flavored nicotine products have been halted.

Armenia: The sale of e-cigarettes and e-liquids containing or not containing nicotine is unregulated. In 2018, Philip Morris International (PMI) began selling its revolutionary smoke-free product IQOS in Armenia.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Nicotine-containing pods are not classified as tobacco products, so their sale is unregulated.

Bulgaria: The sale and use of e-cigarettes and nicotine-containing pods are legal.

Romania: The sale and use of e-cigarettes are legal.

Sweden: Selling e-cigarettes is legal for anyone, but selling nicotine liquids to minors under 18 is illegal.

Switzerland: In 2018, local companies successfully challenged the illegality of nicotine liquids in federal court, immediately lifting the ban and allowing the nationwide sale of nicotine liquids, following the same laws as neighboring Liechtenstein.

New Zealand: E-cigarettes have been legalized. Philip Morris International's IQOS, which uses heated non-combustion technology, has officially been legalized in New Zealand.

France: E-cigarettes and nicotine liquids are considered consumer products regulated by general product safety regulations unless they meet medical licensing standards. Sales of e-cigarettes to individuals under 18, as well as the sale of nicotine-containing or non-nicotine pods, are prohibited.

Regions with Restrictions on E-Cigarette Sales

Australia: Partially permitted, but nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are prohibited. However, it is legal to obtain nicotine-containing e-cigarettes by following these rules: obtaining a nicotine prescription from a doctor or corporate medical service; ordering nicotine e-liquids from trusted international websites or approved Australian compound pharmacies; ensuring compliance with TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) personal import program requirements when importing nicotine e-liquids.

Belgium: Partially permitted, but nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are prohibited.

Denmark: Partially permitted, but nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are prohibited.

Finland: Partially permitted, non-nicotine e-liquids and e-cigarette devices can be sold in Finland. Nicotine-containing e-liquids must comply with "Medicinal Products Act" requirements, and there is no sales license in this country. However, Finnish authorities have decided that nicotine pods with less than 10mg of nicotine and nicotine e-liquids with less than 0.42g of nicotine per bottle can be legally imported for personal use from other countries.

Hungary: Partially permitted, the sale of nicotine-containing pods is legal, but the maximum bottled capacity is limited to 10ml and can only be sold in official national tobacco shops. Sales of e-cigarettes to individuals under 18 are prohibited. Hungary is one of the countries with the strictest restrictions on nicotine alternatives.

Japan: Partially permitted, but nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are banned as they are classified as unlicensed medical products. It is the largest market for HNB products globally.

Norway: Partially permitted, e-cigarettes and non-nicotine pods can be sold, and the sale and use of e-cigarettes are legal, but nicotine pods can only be imported from other EEA member states (such as the UK) for personal use. All marketing advertisements are prohibited. Sales to individuals under 18 are prohibited.

South Africa: Partially permitted, e-cigarettes and non-nicotine pods can be sold, but nicotine e-liquids are prohibited. E-cigarette products fall under tobacco control, meaning they face strict restrictions in marketing and sales. HNB products are beginning to be sold.

Sweden: Partially permitted, e-cigarettes and non-nicotine pods can be sold.

Croatia: Advertising is restricted, and the use of e-cigarettes is prohibited in all enclosed public places. E-cigarettes are classified as tobacco products. The use of e-cigarettes is prohibited in all public buildings, and sales to minors are prohibited.

Portugal: Sales of nicotine-containing pods are restricted.

Turkey: Regulation of e-cigarettes is inconsistent. Sales are not completely banned, and there are many online stores.

Malaysia: Nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are considered illegal, and the states of Penang, Kedah, Johor, Kelantan, and Terengganu have completely banned the use of e-cigarettes. The Malaysian government is drafting new legislation to regulate e-cigarettes. Non-nicotine e-cigarette industry standards have been issued, and the production of e-cigarette e-liquids is thriving locally.

This concludes the legal regulations regarding e-cigarettes in various countries. If you are an e-cigarette user planning to travel abroad, be sure to take note!