Government attitudes toward vaping and nicotine vary. In the United Kingdom, vaping has largely been encouraged by government health agencies. Because smoking creates a costly burden for the UK’s National Health Service, the country stands to save both lives and money if smokers switch to e-cigarettes.
Many other countries also allow a regulated vaping market, but are less enthusiastic about the practice. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has had authority over vapor products since 2016, but has refused to create a plain system of standards for e-cigarettes and e-liquids. In recent years, some U.S. states have imposed flavor and online sales bans. Canada somewhat followed the U.K. model for a short time, but has recently imposed nicotine-strength limits and extreme flavor restrictions.
There are more than 40 countries that have some type of ban on vaping—either on possession and use, sales, importation, or a combination. What we have attempted is to list U.S. state flavor and online sales bans, and the sales and use bans imposed in other countries.
U.S. bans on flavored vapes and online sales
The FDA has federal authority to regulate vaping products. In September 2020 the agency began reviewing premarket tobacco applications (PMTAs), and has signaled it will not authorize flavored products without extraordinary evidence. Whether the agency will be successful creating an unwritten standard that eliminates legal flavored products (except tobacco) may be determined by federal courts.
Most vape bans in the U.S. happen at the state and local levels. And while a few California cities—notably San Francisco—have banned outright the sale of all vaping products, most American vape restrictions involve flavors and online sales. There are only a few of each, despite the large number of vaping bans that have been proposed in state legislatures in recent years—proof that grassroots opposition can stop bad legislation.
Arkansas - online sales ban
Tobacco permits issued to Arkansas businesses only allow face-to-face transactions, so online sales are prohibited.
California - flavor ban
California has banned in-store sales of flavored vapes—with or without nicotine—since 2022. As of Jan. 1, 2025, the state also prohibits online sales of flavored products, and includes all forms of nicotine and nicotine analogs in the ban.
District of Columbia (D.C.) - flavor ban
The D.C. city council passed a flavor ban on all vaping and tobacco products in 2021.
Georgia - online sales ban
Georgia allows only face-to-face retail transactions of vaping products, so online sales are prohibited.
Hawaii - online sales ban from out of state
Hawaii bans online sales from outside the state, except to licensed retailers.
Maine - online sales ban
Maine bans online sales, except between licensed businesses.
Massachusetts - flavor ban
The first statewide flavor ban was passed in late 2019 by Massachusetts. It includes all tobacco products, and prohibits sales of all vape flavors except tobacco.
Nebraska - online sales ban
Nebraska bans online sales, except between licensed businesses.
New Jersey - flavor ban
New Jersey’s ban covers all flavors except tobacco.
New York - flavor ban + online sales ban
The New York flavor ban, which covers all flavors except tobacco, was passed in April 2020. The state also adopted an online sales ban (of all vaping products) at the same time.
Oregon - online sales ban
Oregon bans online sales, except between licensed businesses.
Rhode Island - flavor ban
In March 2020, then-governor Gina Raimondo bypassed the state legislature and used the Department of Health to create a permanent ban on all vape flavors except tobacco. In 2024, the legislature converted the ban from a health department rule to a law.
South Dakota - online sales ban
Shipping of all tobacco products (including vapes) is prohibited in South Dakota.
Utah - flavor ban + online sales ban
Utah has banned the sale of flavored vaping products, and also prohibits online sales, except between licensed businesses.
Vermont - online sales ban
Vermont bans online sales, except between licensed businesses.
Major cities with flavor bans include Chicago, IL; Columbus, OH; and Denver, CO.
Complete bans on vaping product sales have been adopted by San Francisco and some smaller California cities. Brookline, Massachusetts has passed a so-called generational ban on tobacco and nicotine product sales (including vapes). The city increases the legal age to buy nicotine products by one year each year. No one born after Dec. 31, 1999, can ever buy nicotine products legally in Brookline.
Countries that ban vaping product sales or use
In some nations, vaping is completely illegal, including both sales and possession. Prohibition is most common in Asia, the Middle East, and South America. Australia has a bizarre pharmacy-only sales model for vaping products, and unauthorized importation can result in huge fines and even jail time. In Japan, nicotine vaping products are illegal, but heated tobacco products like IQOS are completely legal and widely used.
Some countries have outright bans on both sales and possession, others just prohibit sales, and some ban only nicotine-containing products. In many countries, the laws are ignored and black markets flourish. In others, they’re enforced (but even those have black markets too). If a country is not listed, vaping is either allowed and regulated, or there is no specific law governing e-cigarettes (as of now anyway).
This isn’t meant as a definitive legal guide for traveling vapers. If you’re visiting an unfamiliar country you should first check with an up-to-date official source like your country’s state department, or the travel bureau of the country you’re visiting.
Antigua and Barbuda
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Argentina
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Australia
Legal to use, illegal to sell (outside of pharmacies), illegal to possess more than nine products
Bangladesh
Legal to use, illegal to import. Since Bangladesh has no domestic vape manufacturing, the country's January 2025 import ban is essentially an outright prohibition
Bhutan
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Brazil
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Brunei Darussalam
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Cambodia
Banned: illegal to use, illegal to sell
Chile
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Colombia
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Cook Islands
Legal to use, illegal to sell
East Timor (Timor-Leste)
Banned: illegal to use, illegal to sell
Ethiopia
Believed to be legal to use, illegal to sell
Gambia
Believed to be illegal to use, illegal to sell
Ghana
Legal to use, illegal to sell (except when prescribed by a doctor)
Hong Kong (a Special Administrative Region of China)
Legal to use, illegal to sell
India
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Iran
Believed to be illegal to use, illegal to sell
Jamaica
Legal to use, illegal to sell nicotine-containing products without a medical license
Japan
Legal to use, legal to sell devices and zero-nicotine e-liquid, but illegal to sell nicotine-containing liquid (although individuals can import nicotine-containing products with some restrictions). Heated tobacco products (HTPs) like IQOS are legal and extremely popular
Kazakhstan
Legal to use, illegal to sell. The 2024 law, which prohibits sale, manufacture and import, also bans imports for personal use
Kuwait
Believed to be legal to use, illegal to sell
Kyrgyzstan
Banned: illegal to use, illegal to sell. Kyrgyzstan's total prohibition took effect July 1, 2025
Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos)
Banned: illegal to use, illegal to sell
Lebanon
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Macau (a Special Administrative Region of China)
Possibly legal to use, illegal to sell. In late 2022 a law took effect that bans the manufacture, distribution, sale, import, export, and transport of all vaping products. While personal use may be technically legal, there seems to be no way to acquire products without violating the import or transport bans
Malaysia
Legal to use, illegal to sell nicotine-containing products. Although consumer sales of nicotine-containing products are illegal, Malaysia has a thriving vaping market. Sales of all vaping products (even without nicotine) are banned outright in the states of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Penang and Terengganu
Maldives
Banned: illegal to use, illegal to sell
Mauritius
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Mexico
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Myanmar
Believed to be illegal to use, illegal to sell
Nepal
Legal to use, possibly illegal to sell (although the government itself seems unsure)
Nicaragua
Believed to be illegal to use, illegal to sell
North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
Banned: illegal to use, illegal to sell
Oman
Believed to be legal to use, illegal to sell
Palau
Banned: illegal to use, illegal to sell
Panama
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Qatar
Banned: illegal to use, illegal to sell
Seychelles
Legal to use, illegal to sell. However, the country announced in 2019 its intention to legalize and regulate e-cigarettes
Singapore
Banned: illegal to use, illegal to sell. As of 2018, possession of vapes is a crime, punishable by fines and even prison time. However, the threat of prosecution hasn’t prevented a thriving black market
Sri Lanka
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Suriname
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Syria
Banned: illegal to use, illegal to sell
Taiwan (Republic of China)
Banned: illegal to use, illegal to sell
Thailand
Believed to be legal to use, illegal to sell. Thailand has earned a reputation for enforcing its ban on importation and sales of vaping products with several high-profile incidents in recent years, including detaining and even deporting tourists caught vaping
Turkey
Legal to use, illegal to import. Turkey’s laws are conflicting, and there is a vaping market and a vaping community in Turkey
Turkmenistan
Believed to be legal to use, illegal to sell
Uganda
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Uruguay
Legal to use, illegal to sell
Vatican City
Believed to be illegal to use, illegal to sell
Venezuela
Banned: illegal to use, illegal to sell. In August 2023, the Venezuelan health ministry banned the sale and personal use of all vaping and heated tobacco products on order of President Maduro
Vietnam
Banned: illegal to use, illegal to sell. Vietnam passed a comprehensive ban that took effect Jan. 1, 2025
Sources and updates
Our list is extensive, but maybe not definitive. Laws change frequently, and there is no central repository for information on worldwide vaping laws that is updated in real time. While our list includes some original research, these are the primary sources:
- The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (Knowledge-Action-Change)
- Tobacco Control Laws (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids)
- Institute for Global Tobacco Control (Johns Hopkins University)
We welcome any new information you may have. If you know of a law that has changed, or a new regulation that affects our list, please make a comment and we will update the list.
Jim McDonald
Vaping for: 13 years
Favorite products:
Favorite flavors: RY4-style tobaccos, fruits
Expertise in: Political and legal challenges, tobacco control haters, moral panics
Jim McDonald
Smokers created vaping for themselves without help from the tobacco industry or anti-tobacco crusaders, and I believe vapers and the vaping industry have the right to continue innovating to give everyone who wants to use nicotine access to safe and attractive non-combustible options. My goal is to provide clear, honest information about vaping and the challenges nicotine consumers face from lawmakers, regulators, and brokers of disinformation. You can find me on Twitter @whycherrywhy
