Ukraine is considering a sweeping ban on the production, import, sale, and distribution of vapes, pods, and e-liquids, in a bid to curb teenage use.
The proposed legislation, Bill No. 13548, would amend existing smoking regulations, introduce fines for violations, and add a provision explicitly banning the distribution of vapes.
According to Generation Without Tobacco, the Bill would halt the production, trade, and registration of vapes in Ukraine, while removing provisions related to the licensing and distribution of e-liquids.
Lawmakers cited figures suggesting that 40 per cent of teenagers aged 13 to 16 have tried a vape at least once, with around 20 per cent using them regularly. A survey of 15 to 16-year-olds found half had tried vaping, and 19 per cent had used a device in the past 30 days.
The initiative follows a series of measures already taken to limit youth access to vapes. Since January 2021, Ukraine has banned sales of vapes to minors, prohibited flavoured products, and imposed fines of up to 15,000 hryvnia (€314) for using vapes in public.
In March 2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky also signed a law increasing tobacco taxes to align more closely with EU standards.
Concerns from harm reduction advocates
While authorities frame the ban as a public health measure, vaping experts warn that an outright prohibition could lead to serious unintended consequences.
Restricting access to legal vapes may drive adults seeking safer alternatives to smoking towards unregulated or illicit products, which could pose greater health risks.
Harm reduction advocates point out that vapes are widely recognised as less harmful than combustible tobacco. They argue that efforts should focus on regulating and educating rather than an outright ban.
Ukraine already enforces some controls, but critics say these measures are not enough to prevent youth access. The Bill’s initiators said that despite the existing bans, young people “can still easily access” vapes, prompting the push for stricter legislation.
If enacted, the law would make Ukraine one of the first countries in Europe to attempt a total ban on vapes.
Benefits of vapes
The proposed ban comes as new research highlights the potential health benefits of vaping in Ukraine. A study published in the Central European Journal of Public Health found that the use of vapes could lead to a substantial reduction in life years lost due to smoking.
Across 210 scenarios modelling vaping’s impact on smoking behaviour, a “substantial majority of e-cigarette scenarios (88.10 per cent) resulted in positive life-years saved (LYS),” the researchers said.
Life years saved ranged from a loss of 1.13 million to a gain of 13.11 million, with a median outcome of 3.17 million. This represents a 4.55 per cent reduction in the total life years lost to smoking in Ukraine.
Under the most plausible scenarios, the study found long-term smoking rates could stabilise between 5.56 and 6.40 per cent. The authors concluded that “the benefits of e-cigarettes outweigh potential harm” and stressed the importance of harm reduction strategies in public health policy.
The study encourages policymakers to consider integrating harm reduction approaches, including support for adult smokers who switch to vaping, alongside other tobacco control measures.
