The sale, distribution and advertising of e-cigarettes in Qatar is prohibited, as is possession and use, according to a government circular and a Health Ministry order of 2014. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has agreed on the matter. The GCC is a regional political and economic union which includes all Arab states in the Persian Gulf, except Iraq. The head of the Non-Communicable Disease Department at the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar has been quoted as saying that all retail outlets had been instructed not to sell e-cigarettes, and all border agencies had been instructed not to allow e-cigarettes into Qatar, also stating that anyone caught in possession of, or found to be importing, a vaping device will face disciplinary action, although it is not clear what this action might be.
Regulation
- Data cross-referenced where possible using the following sources :1. Vapetrotter website. Available at: https://www.vapetrotter.com/laws/ ; 2. Global tobacco control website. Available at:https://www.globaltobaccocontrol.org/node/14052 ; 3. Tobacco Control Laws website. Available at : https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/