Qazaq24.com сообщает, основываясь на информации сайта Kursiv.Media.

Even though vapes are no longer on sale officially, they haven’t gone anywhere / Photo: Shutterstock; photo editor: Arthur Aleskerov On April 19, 2024, Kazakhstan effectively banned the sale, production and distribution of electronic cigarettes and vapes.

To ensure compliance with the law, authorities introduced high fines and serious penalties — up to five years in prison with property seizure by the government — for violations.

Kursiv.media decided to find out whether it’s still possible to buy a prohibited product, and discovered a full-fledged black market for vapes in the country.

For those selling these products, there seem to be no legal barriers they can’t overcome.

What has changed over the year «I try to save my vape for special occasions because they no longer sell liquid nicotine,» said an elderly man, who used to smoke his homemade vape.

He has been using a pod system to heat tobacco instead for the past year.

Commenting on the ban, the man said he is unhappy with it, claiming that the homemade device he used wasn’t as harmful as store-bought ones, since he made the liquid «without any flavorings» himself.