Kyrgyzstan bans e-cigarettes: fines and assistance for smokers

A tough fight against electronic cigarettes is underway in Kyrgyzstan. The government and the Ministry of Health have announced the entry into force of a new law that completely bans the import, sale and use of electronic tobacco products in the country. This decision will be implemented from July 1 of this year.

The reasons for this serious decision are just as serious. According to Liviu Vedrasco, the representative of the World Health Organization in Kyrgyzstan, every tenth child in the country regularly smokes tobacco products. In addition, every fifth schoolchild has already tried various tobacco products. These figures are of serious concern not only to government agencies, but also to society.

"In Kyrgyzstan, there are age restrictions for the purchase of tobacco products, but in practice they rarely work. 87 percent of schoolchildren freely buy cigarettes at kiosks and shops, and no one asks them for documents or age. This is a big problem," said Liviu Vedrasco.

The biggest danger is that e-cigarettes have an attractive appearance and attract the younger generation with their various flavors. Indeed, e-cigarette manufacturers are creating a false sense of security by decorating them with fruit and sweet flavors. However, experts say that the nicotine in these products is highly addictive and increases the risk of more than 20 types of cancer in the body.

The Ministry of Health of Kyrgyzstan also announced its readiness to help the population who want to give up this habit in order to completely eliminate the use of e-cigarettes in the country. A special hotline (2103) has been launched for citizens who want to quit smoking, and the confidentiality of applicants is guaranteed.

The statistics of applications received by the Ministry also revealed interesting information. For example, 95 percent of those who called for help to quit smoking were men, 29 percent from the capital Bishkek, and 42 percent from rural areas. Interestingly, 30 percent of those who called have already completely given up this harmful habit.

According to the adopted law, starting July 1, the import, sale, and smoking of electronic cigarettes will be completely prohibited. Severe fines are set for those who violate the requirements of the law. Those who smoke electronic cigarettes will be fined 10,000 Kyrgyz soms (about $120). Those who sell them will be fined a much larger amount, 200,000 Kyrgyz soms (about $2,400).

Experts say that these measures are an important step towards reducing the consumption of tobacco products and preserving the health of future generations. The campaign against e-cigarettes aims to help all families in the country improve their health.

Now, Kyrgyzstan, by combating e-cigarettes, will serve as an important example in improving the health of not only young people, but also the entire population and preventing drug addiction. This initiative is expected to be one of the first and most decisive steps in this regard among the countries of Central Asia.