Azerbaijan plans complete ban on e-cigarettes 

BAKU, Azerbaijan (MNTV) — Azerbaijan is moving to impose a comprehensive ban on electronic cigarettes, prohibiting their import, export, production, storage, sale and use under proposed amendments to national tobacco legislation.

The draft changes, discussed at a joint meeting of the Milli Majlis committees on agrarian policy, economic policy, industry and entrepreneurship, and labor and social policy, would add a new article to the law “On Tobacco and Tobacco Products.”

Under the proposal, electronic cigarettes containing nicotine would be formally classified as tobacco products, placing them under an outright circulation ban.

The amendments also introduce legal definitions for “electronic cigarette” and “heated tobacco product,” aiming to clarify and standardize the classification of tobacco-related products in legal practice.

Lawmakers said the updated terminology would allow for clearer differentiation among traditional tobacco products, heated tobacco devices and electronic cigarettes, strengthening enforcement and regulatory oversight.

As part of broader legal harmonization, related amendments are also being proposed to the Tax Code and the law “On Advertising.” These include removing disposable electronic cigarettes and e-cigarette liquids from the list of excisable goods, effectively abolishing existing tax rates on those items.

The advertising restrictions would be expanded as well. Proposed changes would ban all advertising of electronic cigarettes, including devices that do not contain nicotine.

If adopted, the amendments would significantly tighten Azerbaijan’s regulatory framework on vaping and related products.