By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Licensing overhaul under review: Belarus is considering stricter vape licensing amid concerns about youth use.
- Black market risk acknowledged: President Lukashenko warned that bans could drive illicit imports, particularly from Russia.
- No final decision yet: Authorities say expert input will guide whether vaping is further restricted or more tightly regulated.
Belarus is preparing new legislation to tighten licensing requirements for the sale of e-cigarettes and vaping products, including e-liquids, as authorities weigh stricter controls against the risk of pushing the market underground.
According to a state news agency, the draft law was discussed this week at a meeting between President Alexander Lukashenko and the leadership of the Council of Ministers. Health officials have raised concerns about the growing popularity of e-cigarettes among young people, prompting renewed calls to restrict — and potentially ban — their production and distribution.
“Medical professionals are sounding the alarm over the growing popularity of e-cigarettes, especially among our youth—students and schoolchildren,” Lukashenko said. “Calls are increasingly being made to restrict and even ban their production and distribution.”
At the same time, Lukashenko cautioned that aggressive restrictions could inadvertently fuel illicit trade, particularly given Belarus’ open borders with Russia. “Aren’t we creating some kind of underground trade?” he asked. “We have no borders. We don’t have to introduce them. But who will we benefit from them? They’ll import them from there. They’ve already imported as much as they wanted and as much as they needed.”
Lukashenko acknowledged uncertainty about the relative health risks of vaping compared with traditional smoking and called on experts to advise the government on its next steps.
“I don’t really know much about smoking, or about alcohol,” he said. “So I’d like experts who either smoke or have studied the subject to explain what it is. They say it’s worse than tobacco. We’ll listen and make the appropriate decision.”
While reaffirming his opposition to smoking and alcohol, Lukashenko emphasized the need for balance in policymaking. “The most important thing is that I’m categorically opposed to both alcohol and smoking,” he said. “But smoking is terrible… doctors already know for sure that the primary cause of lung cancer is smoking.”
The president concluded the discussion by indicating that a final decision has yet to be made. “Let’s try to find a balance,” Lukashenko said. “Let’s discuss and, as I already said, make an appropriate decision.”
The proposed legislation would tighten licensing rules for vape sales but, for now, stops short of an outright ban, as Belarus weighs public health concerns against enforcement realities and cross-border market dynamics.
