Erbil launches first crackdown on vapes and e-cigarettes

ERBIL, January 3 — The Erbil municipality has initiated a new crackdown on sales of vapes and electronic cigarettes, with officials announced the seizure of contraband and closure of nine establishments.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Health and Ministry of Trade issued a directive imposing a complete ban on the sale of vapes and e-cigarettes.

Erbil Mayor Nabaz Abdulhamid told 964, “Establishments engaged in the sale of vapes and e-cigarettes will face closure, with legal cases opened against them, subject to judicial rulings.”

Furthermore, Abdulhamid clarified that advertising and promotion of these products on social networks are strictly prohibited.

Municipality committees shuttered a total of 1,098 establishments for violations in 2023, including 755 hotels, restaurants, bakeries, massage parlors, liquor shops, and notably, 343 pharmacies and laboratories.