Govt moves to restrict importation of vapes, vaping products – Pres Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Saturday evening announced a decision by the Government to restrict the importation of vapes and vaping products for recreational use into Guyana.
This move comes on the heels of growing concerns over the uptake in vaping, especially among young people, and the health risks attached to this practice. In fact, alarms were raised recently about the availability and easy access to vaping products in retail shops and supermarkets across the country.

In response, President Ali disclosed that Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh will soon sign an order under the Customs Act, Chapter 8201, placing restriction on the importation of vapes of all kinds, except as approved by the Minister responsible for Health or the National Tobacco Control Council or Tobacco Control Board.
According to the Health of State, several countries have already imposed restrictions on the importation and distribution of vaping products – something which Guyana is now seeking to do.
“Recognising the need for greater regulation in the interests of public health, the restrictions that I have authorised are consistent with this broader international effort and indeed in listening to parents, teachers, community leaders, children, and society as a whole,” he stated in the Saturday evening video statement.
This restriction, the president explained, seeks to address the potential health risks associated with vaping while ensuring that legitimate medicinal and therapeutic applications remain subject to the oversight of the relevant health authorities. He added that this issue has also been the subject of continuous engagement and feedback during public engagements.
“This measure is necessary in light of growing concerns over the widespread and unregulated importation, sale, and use of vapes and vaping products in Guyana. As a responsible Government, as a listening Government, we have a duty to protect public health, particularly the health and well-being of our children and young people, and to ensure that products presenting potential risks to consumers are subject to appropriate oversight and control,” he stated.
Vaping has become a matter of increasing public health concern internationally, with the World Health Organization (WHO) repeatedly warning about the use of vaping and its effect on mental health and young people, especially children.
Although vaping products are often marketed as alternatives to conventional cigarettes, they are not harmless. These products can expose users to toxic substances that pose a risk to human health.
But while the restrictions are primarily intended to address the importation of vapes and vaping products for recreational use, the Head of State assured that they will not preclude legitimate medicinal, therapeutic, or alternative applications where necessary.
In fact, recognising that alternatives to cigarettes and nicotine are also available in the form of vapes, the Tobacco Control Board or the Minister of Health will now have to approve the use of any vaping alternative. However, the Tobacco Control Board would be responsible for deciding how the qualification will be done.
“This approach ensures that the Government can act decisively to protect our children, young people and to protect public health while preserving the ability of the competent health authorities to authorise legitimate use and application. I wish to emphasise that the restrictions that we are imposing are intended to strengthen safeguards, support responsible regulation, and protect the public,” he posited.
Meanwhile, President Ali used the opportunity to advise parents, religious leaders, teachers, and community leaders to educate children and young people on the dangers and consequences of vaping, especially in cases where additives are used.
“Vaping has also been linked to concerns about respiratory health. The long-term consequences of vaping are not only health-related but can change the social dimensions of society and can affect our children and young people who are exposed to vaping at an early age because the accessibility can expose them to the danger of mental health issues and challenges. The absence of complete knowledge about those long-term effects must not be mistaken for evidence of safety.”
“We have to protect our children, we have to protect our schools, and we have to protect our society. We have to adopt measures that are relevant to the challenges we face as a society, and one such challenge is the abuse, misuse, and even use of vaping among teenagers, young children in some instances, in our school system,” the Guyanese Leader emphasised.