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Prime Minister Hun Manet has issued a nationwide ban on Tuesday on the import, sale, distribution, advertising, and use of e-cigarettes and shisha, citing growing concerns over their impact on public health and youth addiction.
The directive also prohibits possession, production, and storage of electronic smoking devices and chemical substances used for vaping and shisha.
The decision was made to protect public health, especially children, students, and youth, as well as to maintain social order, as authorities found a rapid increase in the use of these products among young people — which could lead to nicotine addiction and possibly, drug abuse.
Ministries and institutions have been instructed to enforce the ban through inspection, confiscation, and conducting awareness campaigns. In addition, the Health Ministry would educate the public about the health risks, while the Education, Youth and Sport Ministry (MoEYS) would enforce the ban in and around schools and educational institutions.
Government officers, police, and military personnel are also prohibited from using or being involved with the products.
Violators, including government officers, would be subjected to verbal or written warnings, confiscation of products, and suspension of business licenses or disciplinary action, the directive stated.
Tobacco use has resulted in about 15,000 deaths every year—roughly 290 lives each week—according to the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this year. Beyond the human toll, it places a heavy burden on families, communities, and the economy—costing an estimated 2.7 trillion riel ($663 million) annually, with low-income groups suffering the most.
Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, said e-cigarettes are designed to attract young people with their sweet flavors and modern look. However, he added, behind the appeal lies a “dangerous path to nicotine addiction and lifelong health risks”. “Protecting children from these deceptive products is an urgent public health priority.”
Vuthdav, a former e-cigarette consumer, told CamboJA News that he used e-cigarettes because he saw many people using and selling them on social media, which were “easier” to smoke than regular cigarettes, and that it was a substance that made him switch from normal cigarettes.
After using it for a while, he developed serious health problems with his lungs and had to spend a lot of money on treatment and switch to a healthier diet. “This type of cigarette causes serious harm to users without them realizing it.”
Vuthdav hopes that the government regulations are effective and that stricter laws will be imposed on the distribution, sale and use of e-cigarettes because they are harmful to public health.
“It would be good if the government was stricter because, since I got sick, my health has deteriorated. I have to take medicine every day. So, banning the import, sale and use of e-cigarettes is good because it is harmful to health,” said Vuthdav.
Dr. Mom Kong, executive director of the Cambodian Health Movement, said that the availability of e-cigarettes and e-cigarette products in the country and widespread advertising on social media are the main reasons for the rise among children and youth vapers in recent years.
The product has a serious impact on human capital, as it affects brain development, which could impact children and young people’s education, and also cause serious damage to the lung and other organs.
“Without the ‘presence’ of e-cigarettes in Cambodia, there would be no [online] advertisers and victims, most of whom are children and young people,” said Kong.
A report by the Cambodian Health Movement found that at least 688 social media accounts promote and sell electronic cigarettes and vaping products.
More than 80% of users of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products—a vast majority of whom are children and young people—ordered these products via social media, research by MoEYS showed in 2024.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak told CamboJA News that they fully support the decision to ban the product and are committed to enforcing the order effectively, which would be carried out by the police and territorial administration.
The ministry will develop detailed guidelines for subordinate officers, including measures to tighten control at all entry points—by air, land, and waterways, he said, adding that the police would enforce the directive in accordance with established procedures soon.
“We’ll thoroughly inspect storage and distribution [networks], and [investigate] collusion in sales and use. If officials in the ministry are found to be using or involved in any way, they will be subjected to disciplinary action,” Sokhak said.
He also warned that traders who import, distribute, and sell electronic devices and chemicals for smoking and shisha to stop immediately, or risk facing the law.
Additional reporting by Sok Sreymey
