Overview
- The draft from the Chamber of Deputies’ Health Commission would outlaw the manufacture, import, export, sale, supply, advertising and use of e‑cigarettes and similar devices nationwide.
- The proposal creates a new criminal offense in the General Health Law with penalties of one to eight years in prison and fines of 100 to 2,000 UMAs, covering violations that include individual purchase.
- Lawmakers cite expert studies and international health authorities warning that vape aerosols contain nicotine, volatile organic compounds and metals such as nickel, lead and cadmium linked to health harms.
- The initiative prioritizes youth protection, pointing to flavored products, colorful packaging and social media marketing that lawmakers say have driven early nicotine dependence.
- The measure is packaged within broader health reforms that include consolidated medical procurement powers for the Health Ministry and a prohibition on trafficking chemical precursors used to make fentanyl.