Guyana to Ban Recreational E-Cigarette Imports, With Limited Permits for Medical Use

Guyana will restrict the importation of vaping products unless cleared by the Health Ministry or national tobacco-control authorities, President Mohamed Irfaan Ali said in a national address.

Speaking in a live nationwide video address on Saturday, Ali announced the proposed import ban on vaping products, citing growing concerns over their use among children and young people. Under the plan, Finance Minister Ashni Singh will sign an order — to be issued under the Customs Act — that blocks imports of recreational vaping products, with exceptions only for goods approved under a specialized permit by the Health Minister or the country's tobacco-control authority, according to the Trinidad & Tobago Gazette and Guyana government statements.

Health Minister Frank Anthony said more than 100,000 children in the country have been screened for vaping product use and that e-cigarette products are regarded as a gateway to other harmful products, according to Vapesee's report of the address.

The announcement builds on existing law: Guyana's 2017 Tobacco Control Act already regulates electronic nicotine delivery systems. The new import order is aimed at curbing the uncontrolled spread of vape sales and use in the small, oil-rich Caribbean country, which is one of the few English-speaking states on South America's northern coast.

Pan American Health Organization data cited in the address show that roughly 2 million 13- to 15-year-olds in the region use vaping products, and the agency has called on countries to strengthen regulation to suppress youth nicotine use.

Bloomberg reported the move on Sunday as part of a regional pattern of Latin American and Caribbean governments responding to surveys showing rising adolescent e-cigarette use with licensing, import controls or outright bans.