Assembly passes bill banning electronic cigarettes

A bill banning electronic cigarettes, previously vetoed by President Cortizo. was approved on Thursday, July 8, in the third debate in the National  Assembly.  

 Bill 178, which prohibits the use, import, and commercialization of electronic nicotine administration systems, electronic cigarettes, vaporizers, tobacco heaters, and other similar devices, with or without nicotine, in Panama.

The project was partially vetoed in May 2020 by President Cortizo. The veto was made on articles 1, 3 and 4, of project 178, and it was made clear that articles 1, 6, 8 and 9 in Cortizo’s opinion, “in essence, meet the same objectives as certain administrative regulations issued by the Ministry of Health that are in force ”.

On Monday, July 5, under the presidency of Crispiano Adames -proponent of project 178-, the plenary session resumed the discussion of the vetoed document.

According to Adames, the objective of the initiative is to implement “a legal framework” that establishes the prohibition of the use of electronic nicotine administration systems, “promoting the development of policies that safeguard the right of the individual to the promotion, protection, conservation, restitution, and rehabilitation of health ”.