Law 2354 of 2024 aims to regulate nicotine electronic systems and similar products, but its implementation faces significant delays. Two years after promulgation, key provisions like mandatory labeling and advertising bans remain unenforced. This allows uncontrolled circulation of vapes among teens, per Ministry of Justice data.
Law 2354 of 2024 marks progress in public health protection by regulating Nicotine Delivery Electronic Systems (Sean), Similar Systems Without Nicotine (Sssn), and Heated Tobacco Products (PTC). Yet, its rollout has been sluggish. In three months, two years will pass since its promulgation, and key measures like sanitary warning labeling and total bans on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship remain unimplemented.
Current oversight is minimal, with few penalties. The Superintendence of Industry and Commerce has launched probes into physical and online retailers to check compliance, but these efforts need to be ongoing and nationwide. The law alone does not block minors' access to these items.
The National Study on Psychoactive Substance Use in School Population, conducted by the Ministry of Justice, shows that 22.7% of students aged 12 to 17 have used e-cigarettes at some point, and 17.6% have vaped. These are the second most consumed psychoactive substances among schoolchildren, after alcohol.
Insufficient controls and education enable normalization of use among children and teens. Effective nationwide enforcement of the law is crucial to reverse this trend and prevent early addictions that harm youth health.
