E-cigarette ban lifted, raising concerns

“There’s no harsh smell like cigarettes. I’ve heard the nicotine is lower too, so vaping feels safer,” said Raihan (pseudonym), a university student in the capital, as he exhaled a cloud of white vapour.

The conversation took place in the Bashundhara Residential Area. Nearby, several young people were chatting—some holding conventional cigarettes, others using vape devices, also known as e-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes).

The use of e-cigarettes among young people has been rising rapidly in recent times. Beyond serving as an alternative to traditional cigarettes, vaping has now become a “trend” for many. Easier access through online marketplaces and e-commerce platforms, along with attractive marketing strategies, is further fuelling this trend, according to those concerned.

Until recently, the import and marketing of e-cigarettes were banned in the country. However, the products were still available on online platforms. The government has now lifted that ban.

Public health experts warn that such a decision will increase health risks for the younger generation. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have also expressed concern. In a joint letter to the health ministry on 9 April, the two organisations raised alarm over the lifting of the ban on e-cigarettes.

The letter states that e-cigarettes are leading young people into nicotine addiction, which is harmful to brain development and poses long-term mental health risks. The growing availability and use of new nicotine products could increase tobacco-related deaths and the overall economic burden.

In January last year, following demands from anti-tobacco groups, the interim government banned the import of e-cigarettes, or electronic nicotine delivery systems. An ordinance issued on 23 December that year also included provisions banning the production, import, marketing and transport of these products.

Under Section 6(c) of the ordinance, violating the ban was punishable by up to three months’ imprisonment, a fine of Tk 200,000, or both. The same section specified that the production, import-export, storage, advertising, marketing and transport of e-cigarettes, vapes, vaping devices, e-liquids or heated tobacco products were prohibited. Any breach carried the same penalties.

However, on the recommendation of a parliamentary special committee formed to review 133 ordinances of the interim government, the provisions relating to e-cigarettes were removed from the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2026. The amended law was gazetted on 10 April after being passed in the Parliament.

E-cigarettes are essentially battery-powered devices. They heat a liquid to produce vapour, which the user inhales. This is known as “vaping”. Experts say the liquid usually contains nicotine along with various chemical substances.

According to e-cigarette traders, e-cigarettes were first imported into Bangladesh in 2012. In the following years, they became widely popular. A major reason was that the vapour appears relatively harmless and has a sweet scent. At the same time, importers and sellers claim that e-cigarettes are safer than conventional cigarettes.

Public health experts, however, say otherwise. They state that most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is the main cause of addiction among users.

Professor Sohel Reza Choudhury, head of the Epidemiology and Research Department at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, told Prothom Alo that in many cases, nicotine intake from e-cigarettes can be higher than conventional cigarettes. This is because they are used repeatedly and over longer periods, increasing the risk of stronger addiction among users.

The professor believes that lifting the ban on the import and marketing of e-cigarettes will effectively leave the country without a regulatory framework. Such a lack of control could pose a serious threat to public health.

Young people and adolescents, in particular, will be easily drawn to these products. He warned that without swift and effective measures, the harmful impacts could become far more widespread in the coming days.

The long-term health effects of e-cigarettes are still unknown, but several studies in recent years have shown that the product is not safe.

The WHO’s Global Tobacco Epidemic Report 2021 states that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. It can severely harm brain development in children and adolescents. The report also states that those who use e-cigarettes are twice as likely to become addicted to conventional cigarettes in the future.

To control tobacco and tobacco products, Bangladesh first enacted a law in 2005 — the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act — under the BNP government. Through this law, widespread advertising of tobacco products was restricted, and the harmful effects of smoking were formally recognised for the first time.

The law was later amended in 2013, making it mandatory for health warnings to cover 50 per cent of cigarette packaging.

However, stricter laws have not succeeded in reducing cigarette consumption. Data from the VAT wing of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) for the 2023–24 fiscal year show that smokers pay around Tk 380 billion (38,000 crore) annually in duties and taxes on cigarettes.

The letter sent by the WHO and UNICEF to the Ministry of Health also states that Bangladesh faces a significant tobacco-related public health risk. Each year, more than 130,000 people die from tobacco-related causes, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the country’s total deaths.

According to the World Health Organization, at least 37 countries — including India, Sri Lanka, and Singapore — have banned e-cigarettes, citing public health concerns.

The WHO’s global initiative to reduce tobacco use is the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Bangladesh was among the first countries to sign the FCTC in 2003. Under Article 5.2 of the convention, effective legislative, executive, and administrative measures are required to reduce tobacco use, prevent nicotine addiction, and protect people from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke.

Anti-tobacco activists believe the recently passed law in parliament violates this agreement. They also consider the decision to be inconsistent with the BNP’s party manifesto.

Syed Mahbubul Alam, a public health lawyer and anti-tobacco activist, told Prothom Alo that the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has clear directives on controlling the spread of new tobacco products, regulating them, and reducing tobacco use. In his view, any move to legalise e-cigarettes may conflict with those directives.

Calling for a reconsideration of the decision on e-cigarettes, he said a separate and stricter law is needed to regulate them, in order to ensure the protection of public health.