The Punjab government’s recent decision to ban all e-cigarettes, vapes and nicotine pouches across the province marks a major step in protecting public health. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif led this move, directing the cabinet to enforce a “complete ban” on e-cigarettes in Punjab.

In a cabinet meeting she warned that the “increasing use of vapes among youth is a major health threat” and ordered provincial and district authorities to launch a province-wide crackdown on vape sales and use.

This decisive action, and a phenomenal step backed by a cabinet resolution, showcases strong political leadership on tobacco control. It represents a clear acknowledgment that new nicotine products are undermining youth health, and that urgent curbs are needed. This ban comes amid an explosion of vaping outlets in Pakistan’s cities.

Researchers from the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, note that vape devices and nicotine pouches have “made rapid ingress” in Pakistani society, making it mandatory for the government to ban all new nicotine products, including vapes, e-cigarettes, and nicotine pouches.

They are openly sold in corner stores, malls and specialty shops in major cities – Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta – with no consistent enforcement of age limits. Health surveys find e-cigarettes sold “to people of all ages in many stores and supermarkets across Pakistan’s major cities”. Additionally, the flavors such as candy, chocolate, mango, and other fruity/minty flavors are specifically designed to entice children and youth towards addiction.

In Karachi alone, studies reported that roughly 68% of surveyed college students had tried vaping devices. Similarly, SDPI experts observed that cheap nicotine pouches are available in “almost every convenience store” and dedicated vape bars, sheesha cafes and cigar lounges are targeting young, urban consumers.

The rapid spread of these outlets – often advertising vaping as a trendy or “safer” alternative – confirms what doctors and NGOs have warned: without regulation, nicotine products will proliferate unchecked. Punjab’s ban builds on earlier provincial efforts. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), activists with the NGO Blue Veins and the KP Tobacco Control Cell raised the alarm when youth vaping soared. In January 2024, the KP government imposed a........

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