Online Tobacco Sale Banned in Kuwait

Kuwait has enacted a comprehensive set of regulations targeting tobacco and nicotine products, including a ban on online sales and deliveries, an increase in the minimum purchase age to 21, and expanded restrictions on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. The rules, set out in Ministerial Resolution No. 237 of 2026, will take effect on January 1, 2027.

They encompass the entire lifecycle of tobacco and nicotine products, covering their import, manufacture, packaging, distribution, sale, display, advertising, promotion, and use. These measures aim to bolster public health, reduce the associated health, economic, and social costs, particularly among children and young people. The new regulations prohibit the sale, delivery, or supply of tobacco and nicotine products to individuals under 21, requiring retailers to verify age using a civil ID or another officially approved method.

Licensed outlets must display clear notices stating that sales to individuals under 21 are prohibited. The resolution extends to banning sales through websites, mobile applications, social media platforms, delivery services, self-service machines, and in locations frequented by children and adolescents such as nurseries, schools, universities, healthcare facilities, and entertainment venues.

Additionally, the import, manufacture, packaging, distribution, and sale of nicotine pouches and other oral or mucosal nicotine products not registered as medicines are prohibited. The rules also target future nicotine technologies, prohibiting any new product containing tobacco or nicotine that has not been registered, approved, or licensed by the Ministry of Health.

Products with nicotine concentrations, additives, or emissions exceeding permitted limits are also barred. The resolution mandates comprehensive registration and approval processes for all tobacco and nicotine products, requiring detailed disclosures of ingredients, nicotine concentration, additives, country of origin, batch number, production date, and expiry date.

Furthermore, the resolution bans unapproved health or therapeutic claims about tobacco and nicotine products and restricts advertising and promotion through all media channels. Violations will be subject to penalties under existing Kuwaiti laws, with the Ministry of Health overseeing implementation.