By Timothy S. Donahue

Top Takeaways:

Unified regulation push: Panamanian lawmakers are working to combine three bills into a single framework that regulates all nicotine products.
Potential broad bans: Proposed legislation might ban use in public and private areas while limiting advertising, promotion, and commercialization.
Policy reversal debate: The move follows Panama’s Supreme Court overturning a previous nationwide ban.

Panamanian lawmakers are exploring comprehensive new regulations targeting vaping and heated tobacco products, as legislators work to unify several bills into one regulatory framework.

The Work, Health, and Social Development Subcommittee of Panama’s National Assembly has proposed forming a technical working group to unify three separate legislative initiatives that address electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), heated tobacco products, and oral nicotine products.

Among the proposals being discussed is Bill 263, which would ban the use, import, and sale of e-cigarettes, vaporizers, heated tobacco products, and similar devices, whether they contain nicotine or not.

Two additional measures are also being reviewed:

• Bill 347 would amend Law 13 of 2008, expanding existing tobacco control rules to include a ban on the use of electronic nicotine delivery devices in both public and private spaces.
• Meanwhile, Bill 467 seeks broader oversight of emerging nicotine products, including oral nicotine pouches, vaping liquids and other inhalation devices, while introducing new rules governing advertising, commercialization, product quality and safety.

Lawmakers say merging the proposals could produce a single, comprehensive law governing alternative nicotine products in the country. Representative Crispiano Adames, sponsor of Bill 263, said lawmakers have an opportunity to unify the initiatives and establish stronger protections for public health.

“There is currently a major opportunity to condense the three legislative initiatives in order to produce firm, safe and solid regulation that would defend future generations,” Adames said in a statement issued by the National Assembly.

He added that the legislation could address not only youth protections but also broader issues such as advertising restrictions, public-use bans, and taxation of vapor products, which are currently not subject to specific excise taxes under Panama’s fiscal law.

In 2022, lawmakers passed Law 315, which prohibited the sale and use of vaping devices across the country. However, the Panamanian Supreme Court later declared the law unconstitutional after legal challenges from consumer groups and harm reduction advocates, including the Association for Tobacco Harm Reduction of Panama.

Those organizations argued that smokers should keep access to alternatives to traditional cigarettes. Following the court decision, Panama’s Ministry of Health introduced a regulatory framework in 2025 that allowed e-cigarettes to be regulated rather than fully prohibited, with particular emphasis on preventing youth access.

Authorities say enforcement and illicit trade remain concerns. Yoanny Prestán, head of legal advisory for Panama’s National Customs Authority, said the government is also focused on improving oversight of electronic nicotine devices entering the country.

“In the area of cigarette smuggling there are still tasks to be completed, such as traceability,” Prestán said, noting that the agency is seeking stronger oversight of the trade while safeguarding public health.

She added that authorities are not attempting to block commerce but want it carried out under clear rules that protect consumers and young people. Panama is also a party to several international public health treaties, which officials say require governments to adopt regulatory policies addressing tobacco and nicotine products.

At the same time, the Ministry of Health continues to operate 52 tobacco cessation clinics nationwide, offering free treatment services for individuals seeking to quit smoking. The government also launched the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2025 to better understand tobacco and nicotine use among Panamanians aged 15 and older. Results from that survey have not yet been released.

For now, lawmakers say the next step will be refining the proposals through the technical working group before presenting a unified bill to the National Assembly for further debate.