Panamanian authorities are working to unify three legislative proposals into a single regulation aimed at restricting the use, advertising, and commercialization of e-cigarettes, vaporizers, and heated tobacco products. The bills — 263, 347, and 467 — address prohibitions in public and private spaces, product marketing, quality, safety, and taxation of vaping devices. The initiative follows previous legal challenges, including the 2025 regulatory framework by the Ministry of Health, which focused on protecting minors while allowing controlled commercialization, and the earlier Law 315, struck down by Panama’s Supreme Court. Authorities, including the National Customs and Ministry of Health, stress enforcement, traceability, and public health.
Tag: Panama
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Don Emmanuel Cigars Introduced in Panama
Don Emmanuel Cigars announced its expansion into Panama, continuing its international growth with an official market launch this week. The debut was marked by an event at Club Unión’s Muelle featuring a cigar-and-rum pairing with Ron Barceló and an appearance by founder Don Emmanuel, introducing the brand’s Anunnaki line to local consumers.
The company will be represented in Panama by Erick Villarreal, a banking professional and hospitality consultant with experience in Peru. The Anunnaki line, co-blended with master blender Eladio Díaz in the Dominican Republic, uses seven tobaccos including a Dominican wrapper and Mexican San Andrés binder. The Panama move follows recent expansion across the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa, as the brand builds its global presence.
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Panama Begins Strict Vape Regulations Today
Panama’s Ministry of Health (MINSA) announced that new rules governing the sale, promotion, and use of electronic cigarettes—both with and without nicotine—take effect today (August 13). The regulations, aimed at protecting public health and youth, ban vaping in all smoke-free areas, prohibit sales to minors, and outlaw all advertising and promotion. Products must be stored out of public view, with only closed displays allowed for the first two years. Violations can result in confiscation and fines, with health and customs authorities tasked with enforcement.
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Panama Vape Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
The Supreme Court of Justice in Panama has ruled unanimously that Panama’s ban on the sale of all vaping products is unconstitutional.
According to several media reports, the ruling, announced last week, was in response to a lawsuit brought by the Asociación por la Reducción de Daños del Tabaquismo de Panamá (ARDT Panama), a vaping consumer advocacy group.
The court found that Law 315 violated parliamentary procedures spelled out in Article 170 of the Panamanian constitution, according to Panama America.
Law 315 prohibited the sale and import of all vaping and heated tobacco products, with or without nicotine. It also banned online sales, prohibited vaping in any place where smoking is not allowed, and gave customs authorities the right to inspect, detain, and seize shipments into the Central American country.
The law passed the National Assembly in 2021, and was given assent by Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo nearly a year later, on June 30, 2022. Panama had previously prohibited vape sales under a 2014 health ministry decree.
The ARDT Panama lawsuit challenged the vaping ban on the basis that it violated the constitutional right to health (depriving people who smoke of a lower-risk substitute). Also, it alleged that the National Assembly violated technical parliamentary rules in passing the law.
According to El Capital Financiero, the legal challenge was also supported by the Association of Smokers and Families for a Smoke-Free Panama and the Medicinal Cannabis Association of Panama.
It’s unclear if the high court also weighed in on the health-based challenge.
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Panama’s Vapes Ban Heads to Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Panama has decided to hear a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the country’s ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
In early August, the Panamanian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ARDTP) filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court, arguing that Law No. 315, which prohibits the use, sale, and import of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco in the country, is unconstitutional and should be repealed.
The Panama Association for Tobacco Damage Reduction (ARDTP) had its appeal case advanced by the Supreme Court on Sept. 21 following a lawsuit, according to media reports.
If the Supreme Court deems the unconstitutional statement valid, the 315 bill will return to the legislative body for modifications.
Once the bill is amended, it will be resubmitted to the Supreme Court to confirm its constitutionality. A proposed new law is being drafted to replace the current 315 bill, thereby supporting provisions based on “risk.”
Panama is one of several Latin American countries, including Mexico, Argentina, and Venezuela, that have implemented strict legislation since 2022 to restrict the use, sale, and import/export of vaping products.
Many harm reduction advocates argue that the enactment of such legislation has resulted in the creation of a black market for safer nicotine products within their respective countries.
The World Vapers Alliance (WVA) states that Panama’s Supreme Court’s decision to hear this lawsuit is a positive first step.
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Panama Bans Vaping Imports and Sales
Photo: searagen Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo has signed legislation banning the sale of vapor products, reports Vaping360. The country had already prohibited e-cigarette sales in 2014 by executive decree.
The new law prohibits not only sales and imports of e-cigarettes, but also bans consumption in any place where smoking is not allowed. The ban includes internet purchases and authorizes customs officials to inspect and seize shipments. Resellers are still allowed to import vapor products intended for export to third countries.
Consumer vaping advocates have warned that restrictions on vaping products will push vapers to illegal products of questionable quality.
Panama joins more than a dozen Latin American and Caribbean countries with vape bans. On May 31, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador signed a decree outlawing the sale of e-cigarettes.
Panama will host the 1oth Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2023.