By Timothy S. Donahue

Top Takeaways:

• Import Ban: Guyana has formally restricted imports of vaping products under a customs order now in effect.
• Limited Exceptions: Written approval is available only for scientific research, training, or medical purposes.
• Broad Coverage: The restrictions include nicotine and non-nicotine devices, e-liquids, and components, but don’t prohibit possession or use.

Guyana has officially shut the door on vape imports, leaving little room for exceptions.

The government has implemented a sweeping restriction on importing vaping devices, liquids, and related components, following President Irfaan Ali’s October announcement that the country would crack down on the products over concerns about youth use.

Finance Minister Ashni Singh signed the Customs (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2026 on November 10. The measure was published in the Official Gazette the same day, formally adding vaping products to Guyana’s list of restricted imports.

Under the order, vaping products may enter the country only with written approval from the minister responsible for health. Approval is limited to products intended for scientific research, training, or medical purposes.

The restrictions extend beyond conventional nicotine vapes to devices and substances containing or intended for use with tobacco, cannabis, cannabinoids, and other materials.

Covered products include disposable and rechargeable e-cigarettes, vape pens, pod systems, box mods, electronic cigars, dry-herb vaporizers, and associated components such as cartridges, coils, batteries, and chargers.

E-liquids, oils, concentrates, waxes, resins, and gels intended for vaping are also included, whether or not they contain nicotine.

Medical inhalers, nebulizers, ventilators, and other devices specifically designed for medical treatment are excluded, as are humidifiers and diffusers that release vapor into a room rather than for direct inhalation.

Ali first announced the restrictions on October 17, citing complaints from parents, teachers, and community leaders about vaping among teenagers and schoolchildren.

“As a responsible government, as a listening government, we have a duty to protect public health, particularly the health and well-being of our children and young people and to ensure that products presenting potential risks to consumers are subject to appropriate oversight and control,” Ali said in remarks subsequently published by the government’s Department of Public Information.

He also raised concerns about nicotine addiction, adolescent brain development, and the potential long-term effects of vaping. “The absence of complete knowledge about those long-term effects must not be mistaken for evidence of safety,” Ali said.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall previously explained that the government had considered broader legislation to prohibit vaping and possession but concluded that import restrictions would be more practical to enforce.

The customs order itself does not impose a general ban on possessing, selling, or using vaping products already in Guyana. Its direct effect is to restrict new imports, subject to the limited approval process.

The final order also narrows the exemptions discussed when the restrictions were first announced. While earlier statements referenced approvals by tobacco control authorities, the published measure specifies written authorization from the health minister for research, training, or medical purposes.

“We have to protect our children, we have to protect our schools, we have to protect our society,” Ali said.