Smoking is one of the causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Governments regulate tobacco products – including electronic nicotine delivery systems – in very different ways. The United States is relaxing its ban on vaping, Russia is moving to ban e-cigarettes outright, and Kazakhstan has had a strict prohibition in place for two years. What are the results of these policies?
A new, more lenient regulatory approach by the US Food and Drug Administration could bring hundreds of new vaping products to the market. The FDA said it would leave enforcement discretion to law enforcement agencies regarding the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems if manufacturers’ applications meet certain standards. For many years, prior approval had been required for such products, partly to restrict youth access. A source familiar with the FDA’s operations told Reuters that roughly 1,000 applications are currently under review.
The policy change by the Trump administration, announced just days before FDA Commissioner Marty Makary stepped down, bypassed the public comment period typical for such decisions and raised questions about public health risks.
Tobacco companies lobbied for the changes, arguing that the FDA’s previous policy had spawned a huge black market for vaping products, mostly from China. Tobacco firms and Euromonitor say at least 70% of e-cigarette sales in the United States are illegal.
According to the FDA, about 1.4 million American adolescents – roughly 5% – reported using e-cigarettes last year. That is down from the 2019 peak, when more than 5 million school children vaped.
“Of course, we want to keep nicotine out of the hands of young people, but adult smokers need alternatives,” said Vaughn Rees of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, said the new guidance strengthens efforts to curb the flow of illegal and unauthorised nicotine products and facilitates a more orderly transition to a regulated market.
Three officials told Reuters that during his first term, Trump believed allowing e-cigarettes and vapes would boost his popularity among young men. Moreover, official data show that from 2024 onward, tobacco companies and industry groups worked to secure Trump’s support by donating to his campaign and inauguration, as well as by leveraging influential connections in Washington.
Russia is moving in the opposite direction – planning to restrict tobacco products, including vapes. Since the start of the year, the State Duma has been debating a proposal for a complete ban on vape sales. Licensing of wholesale and retail tobacco trade, similar to alcohol, has been under discussion since 2024. The initiative passed its first reading in November 2025. The date for the second reading is not yet known.
Last August, Nizhny Novgorod Governor Gleb Nikitin proposed at a meeting with Vladimir Putin that regions be given the right to restrict vape sales on their own. The president supported the idea. In December, a proposal was made in the State Duma to run an experiment banning the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems and e‑liquids exclusively in the Nizhny Novgorod region from 1 September 2027 to 1 September 2032. Meanwhile, in the Perm region, a local law imposing a total ban on the sale of such systems has been in effect since 1 March.
At the same time, according to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, the number of adult smokers in Russia has fallen by 27% over the past six years.
In Kazakhstan, a total ban on vape sales has been in effect since 19 April 2024. Violators face fines and arrests, with penalties of up to five years in prison and confiscation of property for especially large consignments.
A study conducted by the Strategy Public Foundation one year after the ban found that the share of daily and weekly e‑cigarette use had increased. It found that 52% of users continued to vape, 28% switched to heated tobacco systems, 10% returned to cigarettes, and only 5% quit nicotine entirely.
The study’s authors note that several countries have abandoned total prohibition strategies and nevertheless achieved significant results. In the United Kingdom, where vaping is legal, the number of smokers has fallen by nearly 40%.