Turkmenistan has reportedly halted the sale of electronic cigarettes, says local media. Before this unofficial ban, the use of e-cigarettes had been increasing, in spite of a standing prohibition. Disposable e-cigarettes, reusable vape devices, spare parts, and liquids have all recently become unavailable.
No formal legislation has been passed, but these products vanished from shelves simultaneously. Retailers have been informally alerting customers about the ban. E-cigarettes, once easily bought online and in physical stores, are now hard to find. Night shops in places like the "100 fountains" area in Ashgabat, many owned by relatives of the president's family, were frequent outlets for these products.
Some of these shops remain open, despite the change. The authorities in Turkmenistan have been aiming to establish the country as completely tobacco-free, resulting in continuous shortages of cigarettes and high prices. In 2022, legislation was amended, increasing the minimum age for purchasing cigarettes from 18 to 21 years.
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