Palau Bans Import, Sale and Advertising of E-cigarettes

A Vape lab uses an E-cigarette in London, UK, on Aug. 27, 2014. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Palau’s government has imposed a ban on the sale and use of electronic cigarettes in the Pacific Island nation, citing the “detrimental effects” of the products on public health, according to local reports.

The bill, signed into law by Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr. on Wednesday, will also prohibit the import and advertisement of electronic cigarettes in Palau. The new rules will take effect on May 29.

“This bill will protect the health of the public, especially our youth, from the detrimental effects of electronic cigarettes and will further our goal of promoting a healthy lifestyle among our citizens,” Whipps said.

Under the bill, those who violate the law may be subjected to a $1,000 fine, while businesses or persons who import, distribute, or sell electronic cigarettes could face a fine of up to $20,000, Island Times reported.

Valerie Whipps, Palau’s first lady and chair of the Tobacco Coalition, said that e-cigarettes contain substances that could harm a person’s brain development and nicotine, which makes e-cigarettes addictive.

“This product is specifically designed to attract young people, and if we let it, we will be raising an entire generation that is damaged by this harmful product,” she was quoted as saying by Island Times.

Palau is the latest country to ban e-cigarettes. According to the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control, 37 countries have banned the sales of e-cigarettes as of February 2021, including Brazil, Australia, Singapore, India, and Mexico.

Declining Trend of E-Cigarettes

E-cigarettes, better known as vapes, seem to be on the path of decline. After a series of regulations and market takedowns by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), media reports of adverse effects, and lobbying by legislators and health advocates, the demand for e-cigarettes has fallen.

In July 2022, FDA banned JUUL products, a popular vaping brand that was popular with smokers as well as non-smoking young adults and teenagers.

This received controversial responses of support and backlash from the public, though the FDA later placed a pause on the ban, their action caused damage to JUUL’s image, and likely to the culture of vaping, which the company once broadly represented.

A report funded by the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) estimated that “misinformation shock” through health agency recommendations and the media as a result of e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injuries (EVALI) and deaths from 2019 to 2020 have reduced e-cigarette demand by 24 to 36 percent in the United States.

It has not only driven non-smokers to fear health implications, but also led some smokers to think that vaping is worse than smoking, despite long-term consensus among health experts that vaping was safer than smoking.

Studies on vaping use also reflect a slight decline, though market reports project growth and increased revenue for the e-cigarette market in the coming years from $7 billion in 2020 to a forecast of $40.38 billion in 2028.

Studies on Vaping

Health experts argue that e-cigarettes are safer as they contain fewer chemicals that are also less harmful. The chemicals in e-cigarettes include nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerin, flavorings, and other chemicals.

These chemicals are generally deemed to be safe for human use, yet no one is certain of their effects when inhaled over the long term.

Some studies have also detected flavoring agents such as diacetyl (a chemical linked to lung disease), volatile organic compounds (a health concern if in high concentrations), as well as heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead in the e-liquids.

Research on the health implications of e-cigarettes has also been limited. Studies have found e-cigarette use is associated with increased risk of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Similar to tobacco, e-cigarette use is linked with increased blood pressure and hardening of the arteries, though some reports found that the harm to arteries is lower for e-cigarettes than for smokers.

Health 1+1 and Marina Zhang contributed to this report.