Uruguay bans import, sale of e-cigarettes citing health risks.

Key Points:

1.Policy Announcement: Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez announced during a press conference that there will be a complete ban on the import, registration, and sale of e-cigarettes.

2.Repeal of old laws: this move is equivalent to repealing two related regulations implemented by the previous government, which had allowed the use of e-cigarettes and enforced plain packaging for tobacco products.

3.Health concerns: The Minister of Health referenced data to point out that 18 people die from smoking in Uruguay every day, with e-cigarettes being considered misleading and posing health risks.

4.Anti-smoking tradition：Uruguay became the first "smoke-free country" in the Americas as early as 2006, and the current policy marks a return to a strong anti-smoking stance.

5.Scope of the ban: In the future, no company or individual will be allowed to import, register, or sell e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products within the territory of Uruguay.

Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi announced during a press conference that Uruguay will ban the import and sale of e-cigarettes. This decision effectively reverses two laws from the previous government, which permitted the domestic use of e-cigarettes and mandated neutral packaging and labeling for tobacco products.

During the press conference, Uruguayan Health Minister Cristina Lustemberg cited research data from the Ministry of Health, stating that 18 people in the country die every day due to smoking. This alarming fact has prompted the current government to repeal the previous government's regulations.

In the future, companies in Uruguay will be prohibited from importing, registering, or selling electronic heated tobacco products.

It is worth noting that on March 1, 2006, Uruguay was declared the first smoke-free country in the Americas, with a government decree banning smoking in enclosed public places, including bars, restaurants, office buildings, and shopping malls.

The coordinator of Uruguay's Tobacco Control Project, Laura Llambí, emphasized that scientific evidence suggests that long-term use of e-cigarettes may lead to heart attacks and issues with acute and chronic lung diseases. Llambí further pointed out that there is a lot of misleading information about devices like e-cigarettes, which are mainly purchased and used by young people, a trend that warrants attention.

Uruguay is located in the southeast of South America, on the east bank of the Uruguay River and the La Plata River. It is bordered to the north by Brazil, to the west by Argentina, and to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean.