E-cigarettes in South America

In a nutshell

E-cigarettes are generally banned across South America, although not in every country. Countries such as Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela and Argentina have all implemented bans on nicotine-containing cigarettes, and while organisations in places such as Argentina and Brazil are working on new regulations for the sector, none have yet been successful.

Enforcement is not strict in those countries where e-cig sale is banned, and across the continent there is a thriving informal market, which can be found in all kinds of shops, from diversity stores to tobacconists.

That said, unlike many other countries on the continent, Colombia currently has no restrictions on such products. Numerous proposals have been put forward to regulate the use of e-cigs but none have successfully passed. Similarly Peru also has no regulation, although its market remains undeveloped.