Jamaica Ministry of Health has not banned e-cigarettes

Contrary to previous reports, the Jamaican Ministry of Health announced on September 17 that it has not banned e-cigarettes.

  On September 15, Jamaican Customs stated that it had stopped the clearance of e-cigarettes at the docks following instructions from the Ministry of Health.   However, the Ministry recommends that these nicotine-containing products should not be banned but rather registered and permitted for entry into Jamaica.   Acting Permanent Secretary Dr. Kevin Harvey stated that the management of e-cigarettes containing liquid nicotine cartridges should align with the requirements for other nicotine products under the Food and Drug Act.   "In Jamaica, nicotine products such as gum and patches have always required registration and a permit before importation."   "The Ministry has not yet received any applications or submissions from individuals or companies to register e-cigarette products, which means that currently, Jamaica has not approved the importation of these products," he said.   Dr. Harvey explained that there have been about four formal applications for e-cigarette imports in the past three years. However, applicants failed to prepare the required written application documents according to the stipulated procedures.   "As indicated by the Minister of Health, we are willing to engage and cooperate with any suppliers who have the product at customs or in transit to complete the necessary registration and permit issuance," Dr. Harvey said.   Once the appropriate documents are submitted and meet the standards of the Food and Drug Act, he assured that the Ministry is ready to register e-cigarettes.