Argentina: The government ends the ban on heated tobacco, nicotine pouches, and vaping products.

The Argentine government has adopted a new regulatory framework authorizing the sale of electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, reversing several years of bans on these products in the country. Published in early May 2026, the resolution 549/2026 It establishes a system of authorization, registration, and control applicable to new nicotine products. Argentine authorities present this development as a response to the failure of prohibition, arguing that these products continued to circulate widely through informal channels without health or tax controls.[1].

The government claims it wants to better regulate a market that is already widespread, particularly among teenagers. However, this decision has sparked strong opposition from public health organizations, which denounce it as a "serious setback" in the fight against nicotine addiction and the protection of young people. Several learned societies and medical associations in Argentina are particularly concerned about the risk of normalizing nicotine use and opening up a new market for the tobacco and nicotine industry, in a context of rapidly increasing vaping among teenagers.

A lifting of the bans despite a worrying increase in vaping among young people

The reform repeals previous restrictive measures adopted by the Argentine health authorities. Resolution 565/2023, which banned heated tobacco products, is repealed, while the’ANMAT The new legislation also revisits its landmark 2011 provision banning the importation, sale, and advertising of electronic cigarettes in Argentina. The new system establishes a licensing and control regime for tobacco and nicotine products. Manufacturers and importers will be required to register products, declare their composition, and comply with certain regulatory requirements. These include mandatory health warnings, limitations on design elements that could attract minors, and restrictions on permitted flavors. Only tobacco and menthol flavors remain authorized for nicotine pouches, while electronic cigarettes and heated products will be limited to tobacco flavors.

The government argues that this measure aims to regain control of an already large market and combat illegal trade. Authorities cite, in particular, national data showing a significant increase in vaping among teenagers. According to figures cited in Resolution 549/2026, the prevalence of e-cigarette use reached 35.5% among high school students in the past year.

This point, however, constitutes one of the main paradoxes denounced by health organizations: even though the authorities recognize "alarming" levels of consumption among young people, they choose to legally open the market for these products and to normalize their consumption.

Health organizations denounce a "serious setback" for public health

Following the government announcement, several Argentine medical and public health organizations issued a joint statement calling for the immediate suspension of the reform. Signatories include the Argentine Anti-Tobacco Union (UATA), the Argentine Association of Tobacco Studies (AsAT), the Argentine Medical Society (SAM), the Argentine Federation of Cardiology (FAC), and the Argentine Society of Pediatrics (SAP).

The organizations denounce a decision that, according to them, "opens the door to the expansion of a market for addictive products," promoted through marketing strategies based on "technological innovation, attractive design, the perception of reduced risk, and the acquisition of new consumers." They believe this development weakens policies for the prevention and protection of minors from nicotine addiction. The signatories also reiterate that the products in question are not without health risks. They highlight the effects of nicotine on adolescent brain development, cardiovascular risks, respiratory problems related to inhaled products, as well as the risks of accidental poisoning and toxicity during pregnancy.

The statement also emphasizes the lack of independent scientific evidence to justify this regulatory change. The organizations believe that the persistent uncertainties surrounding the long-term effects of e-cigarettes, heated products, and nicotine pouches should instead lead to the application of the precautionary principle and the effective enforcement of existing regulations, rather than their widespread commercialization.

A market opening that favors the strategies of the tobacco industry

Beyond the regulatory debate, this development is taking place within an international context marked by the rapid expansion of new nicotine products and the intensification of the tobacco industry's influence strategies. Several organizations and stakeholders in favor of reform have publicly supported Argentina's approach in the name of "harm reduction" and the need to "regulate rather than prohibit.".

These arguments echo points regularly used by nicotine product manufacturers: the failure of prohibition, the differentiation of risks between products, and the need to combat the black market. Tobacco multinationals are now investing heavily in the e-cigarette, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouch segments to maintain nicotine addiction and renew their markets, particularly among younger generations.

The nicotine sachets affected by the reform are already marketed by several major tobacco companies on international markets, notably British American Tobacco with VELO and Philip Morris International with ZYN. In January 2026[2], Several public health organizations were already warning about the rapid development of these products in Argentina and about the market penetration strategies deployed by the industry in several Latin American countries.

Public health stakeholders also point out that the new regulatory framework includes virtually no measures concerning points of sale, social media, or a ban on digital marketing, which is particularly used to promote these products to young audiences. This lack of control over promotional practices is all the more concerning given that the products in question rely heavily on persuasive strategies that combine technological innovation, discreet use, appealing aromas, and strong digital visibility.

While several countries are currently strengthening their regulations on new nicotine products, including through bans on flavors, advertising restrictions or bans on certain devices, Argentina is making the opposite choice by reversing historical bans that were nevertheless based on health concerns and the precautionary principle.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1] Eugenia Leis Montero, Weigh that it produces harmful effects in the health, the Gobierno empowers vapeadores and nicotine bags, Chequeado, published May 5, 2026, accessed May 7, 2026

^[2] Nicotine sachets: a new offensive by the tobacco industry in Argentina, Tobacco-Free Generation, published on January 13, 2026, accessed on May 7, 2026