By Timothy s. Donahue

Top Takeaways:

• Final approval secured: Azerbaijan’s parliament has formally adopted a sweeping ban on e-cigarettes and their components.
• Clear product distinctions: The law explicitly separates e-cigarettes from heated tobacco products for legal and regulatory purposes.
• Delayed start date: The ban will take effect on April 1, 2026, later than initially proposed in the first reading.

Azerbaijan’s parliament has approved, in final reading, legislation that bans the import, export, production, storage, wholesale and retail sale, and use of e-cigarettes and their components, formally advancing one of the region’s most comprehensive prohibitions on vaping products.

According to local media outlets, the Milli Majlis adopted the bill, which introduces amendments to the country’s law on Tobacco and Tobacco Products. The legislation is scheduled to enter into force on April 1, 2026, a later date than originally proposed during the first reading.

Under the amended law, nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are explicitly included in the legal definition of tobacco products. The legislation defines an e-cigarette as a product “intended to deliver vapor—with or without nicotine—into the human body through the respiratory tract and designed for use with a device that includes a mouthpiece or other components, such as cartridges or vials.” The definition applies regardless of whether those components are disposable, reusable, refillable, or designed for multiple uses.

The final text draws a clear regulatory distinction between e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, stating that heated tobacco products will not be classified as e-cigarettes.

Heated tobacco products (HTPs, HnB) are defined as products consisting of tobacco or a tobacco mixture combined with non-tobacco components, designed to deliver a nicotine-containing aerosol produced by heating rather than combustion, and without the formation of tobacco smoke.

Lawmakers said the clarification and expansion of definitions are intended to enable more precise legal classification and enforcement, particularly in differentiating between e-cigarettes and HTPs in regulatory and legal practice.

Alongside the tobacco law amendments, Azerbaijan will also introduce coordinated changes to its Tax Code and the law on Advertising. The report said the revisions include removing “single-use electronic cigarettes” and “e-cigarette e-liquid” from the list of excisable goods, thereby canceling the related tax rates. The advertising ban will also be adjusted to align with the updated legal terminology introduced in the tobacco legislation.

The final vote follows an earlier legislative step in December. As previously reported by 2Firsts, the National Assembly passed the bill in a first reading on Dec. 19, approving a proposal to ban the import, export, manufacture, storage, wholesale and retail sale, and use of e-cigarettes and their components. The initial version of the legislation had called for the ban to take effect on Feb. 1, 2026, but lawmakers later revised the implementation timeline during subsequent readings.

With the bill’s final adoption, Azerbaijan now joins a growing list of countries pursuing outright bans on e-cigarettes and related products, while maintaining separate regulatory treatment for HTPs within its tobacco control framework.