E-cig ban to be lifted

A ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes and heat-not-burn (HNB) devices is due to be lifted in the UAE by mid-April, according to a story in The Khaleej Times.

The lifting of the ban had been expected following an announcement on February 16 that the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) had approved new standards for electronic cigarettes and HNB devices.

And the intention to lift the ban was confirmed the next day by Abdullah Al Maeeni, director general of the ESMA. “We issued the regulation to legalize it, and it will be enforced by mid of April 2019, as the Authority is working hard through the development of technical standards and regulations,” he said.

UAE residents readily smoke electronic cigarettes in public though their sale has been illegal.

The new standards set by ESMA will reportedly regulate a range of matters, including nicotine components, technical specifications, packaging, and labeling.

They will apply to e-cigarettes and HNB devices, and to their associated products such as e-liquids and tobacco sticks.

The story said that the new ESMA standards were in line with the Government’s efforts to curb smoking and put a stop to the illegal sale of electronic cigarettes.