Dominican Republic Deputy Patricia Núñez has announced a new legislative project to regulate the sale and use of electronic cigarettes. This initiative comes amid growing public health concerns and a rapid rise in vape consumption among Dominican adolescents and young adults.
Núñez, representing the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), is collaborating with the Dominican Association of Pulmonologists to establish a robust legal framework. The goal is to address the mounting health alerts and complaints regarding these devices, which currently circulate in the country without any regulatory oversight.
This is not the National Congress's first attempt to tackle the issue. In 2022, deputies Omar Fernández and Orlando Jorge Villegas proposed a joint bill to ban the commercialization of non-combustible tobacco and nicotine delivery systems. Despite their efforts, e-cigarettes have continued to be sold freely across the Dominican Republic due to the lack of an enforceable legal framework.
While the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) has repeatedly voiced concerns, officials emphasize that formal legislation is required to enable real sanctions and prohibitions. On an international level, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has reiterated that vapes and hookahs contain toxic agents capable of causing severe pulmonary complications and cancer.
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