Starting from May 20, 2024. Chile has officially implemented new laws to comprehensively regulate the sale, use and advertising of vape products, including a ban on the sale of vapes to minors under the age of 18 and restrictions on their use in closed public places.
Key points:
- Chile has implemented a new vape law since May 20th, strictly restricting sales, use and advertising.
- The new law prohibits the sale of vapes to minors and restricts their use in public indoor places.
- Vape advertising and display are strictly restricted and can only be carried out under specific conditions.
- The new law also sets strict penalties for violations. Failure to include health warnings on packaging may result in a fine of up to 34 million pesos (3.6 US dollars).
New Chilean Vape law comes into force: sales to minors banned
According to Chilean media La Hora, since May 20th, Chile has begun to implement Law No. 21,642, which imposes strict restrictions on the sale, consumption and advertising of vapes.
From now on, the management of vapes in Chile will be stricter. The new law explicitly prohibits the sale of vape products to minors under the age of 18 and restricts their use in public enclosed Spaces. This change has made the legal status of vapes comparable to that of traditional cigarettes.
Celso Muniz, the person in charge of the Tobacco Control Office of the Ministry of Health, said:
- “This decree is not intended to ban vapes, but to draw clear boundaries for protecting public health, especially that of young people.”
The new law also sets strict restrictions on the advertising and display of vapes. Advertisements can only be carried out within the point of sale and cannot be seen from the outside, nor can they approach products related to minors. In addition, no advertisements are allowed within 400 meters of educational and medical institutions.
To ensure the implementation of the regulations, the Ministry of Health and the Regional Secretariat (Seremi) will be responsible for supervision and will take measures including health investigations, seizures, closures and fines. The amount of the fine will depend on the violation. For example, using vapes in educational institutions will result in a fine of at least 137,000 pesos (146 US dollars), while not including health warnings on the packaging may result in a fine of up to 34,000,000 pesos (3.6 US dollars).
