In a public address delivered via social media webcast on Saturday, 17 October 2026, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali announced imminent government restrictions on the import of all vaping products that have not received formal approval from national regulatory bodies. The policy shift comes amid rising alarms from both domestic communities and global health bodies over the well-documented harms of unregulated vaping on respiratory and mental health, particularly among children and adolescent populations.
Ali emphasized that the new regulatory framework is a direct response to widespread calls for action from parents, teachers, community leaders, young people and broader Guyanese civil society, who have pushed for intervention to curb the unmonitored importation, open sale and rampant use of vaping products across the country. Only vaping products intended for therapeutic and medicinal use will be permitted entry into Guyana, and even these will require formal sign-off from one of three authorized bodies: the Minister of Health, the National Tobacco Control Council, or the Tobacco Control Board.
The President noted that Guyana’s policy aligns with a growing global trend, as dozens of nations around the world have already implemented strict limits on the import and distribution of vaping products to protect public health. He echoed repeated warnings issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has long flagged the serious risks of vaping, despite common industry marketing that frames these products as a safer alternative to traditional combustible cigarettes.
“Vaping products can expose users to toxic substances that pose severe risks to human health,” Ali stated during the address. “Vaping is an issue confronting every society, and no one can claim ignorance of the damage it causes to children, school systems, and young people across Guyana, the Caribbean, and the entire world.”
Ali drew particular attention to the unique threat unregulated vaping poses to adolescent development. Early exposure to vaping leads to nicotine addiction that can disrupt healthy brain development in children and teens, he explained, adding that the harms extend beyond individual physical and mental health to shape broader social outcomes for communities. Long-term consequences of early vaping exposure extend beyond individual health, altering social dynamics and leaving lasting negative impacts on young people who encounter these products at vulnerable stages of growth.
Closing the address, Ali called for collective commitment to upholding public health and the social values that will support healthy development for future generations of Guyanese. “I pray that we continue to be guided by faith and strengthen our approach to national development, social protection and the values we want to pass on to the generations of Guyanese,” he said.