Turkey to Impose Severe Penalties for E-Cigarette Sales

The Turkish government has initiated a crackdown on the unregistered trade and smuggling of cigarettes and alcohol, as well as the increasingly popular e-cigarettes among youth. The AK Party, which has been working on new sanctions, will bring the prepared bill to the Parliament in the coming days.

According to the new legislation, those who produce, sell, offer for sale, possess, or transport electronic cigarettes, electronic hookahs, and any related products, devices, accessories, spare parts, and solutions for commercial purposes within the country will face imprisonment from three to six years.

The legislation also mandates that warnings in Turkish, along with pictures, must cover 85% of the surface of rolling papers, similar to cigarette packs. This ratio is set at 65% for cigarette papers and filters. Violators of these rules will face a fine of 50,000 liras.

Read more: Ultimate Guide for Vaping in Turkey 2024

Severe penalties await those who sell tobacco and hookah to individuals under the age of 18. If the same offense is committed three times within five years, the tobacco sales certificate or hookah presentation certificate will be revoked, and the businesses will be closed for two years.

Those who use ethyl alcohol for commercial purposes other than its intended use will face fines of up to 100,000 liras. The legislation also proposes a fine of 1 million liras for those who mix aroma with ethyl alcohol. Even for personal consumption, those who distill alcohol without permission to increase its level may face imprisonment for up to three years.

Businesses that fail to establish the electronic systems made mandatory in alcohol and alcoholic beverage facilities, break the seals applied within the scope of the system, interfere with the system physically or through information to prevent the transmission of required data or transmit it inaccurately, or fail to conduct alcohol and alcoholic beverage trade through the electronic system provided by the Ministry of Agriculture will face an administrative fine of 10 million liras. If the act is repeated within five years, the production and import activity certificates will be revoked.

News source:
Elektronik sigara satan ve alkol damıtanlara ağır cezalar kapıda

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Matthew Ma

Marketing at Ecigator

With over a decade of experience in the e-cigarette industry, Matthew Ma is a seasoned expert in both the manufacturing and usage aspects of vaping products. His extensive background has provided him with a deep understanding of the intricacies and evolving dynamics of e-cigarettes.