Some habits, like smoking, are hard to kick. Many claim that vaping helps to alleviate the urge to light up. If you have a trip planned to Qatar coming up, it’s important to know that they have strict rules in place regarding vaping.
Can you bring vape and vaping equipment into Qatar? No, you cannot bring vape and vaping materials into Qatar. E-cigarette was banned in Qatar according to a ministry order in 2014.
Qatar is a fairly strict country when it comes to bringing items in and out. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have to completely give up vaping while you’re visiting. While the laws there are pretty cut and dry, it seems like some people are still able to find and use vaping supplies.
What The Ministry of Public Health Says
“E-cigarette was banned in Qatar according to a ministry order in 2014. We also have a GCC agreement on this matter. We have instructed all supermarkets, pharmacies, and other outlets not to sell it. We have also communicated with the customs department at the airport, seaport and at the borders not to allow e-cigarettes into Qatar.
People can’t bring it to the country or order it from other countries. Others can’t send it to the country either. The customs have been instructed to seize such products. We are doing a GCC study to find out the impact of these cigarettes. Anyone who is in possession of e-cigarettes may be charged with appropriate action.”
This statement was put out back in 2014. Obviously a lot has changed in almost a decade, especially considering the amount of research done to discover the various positive and negative impacts that e-cigarettes and vapes may have. As is usually the case when it comes to enacting big changes to laws and regulations, not much has been done.
Even with vapes being banned and illegal there is still a fairly large community of vapers in Qatar. You can find people that still do it, and if you want to track down the items necessary to vape, you can also find those. While you may not be able to bring the items into Qatar, you might not be completely out of luck.
The Argument
One thing you will see all over Qatar is the smoking of cigarettes and shisha. Most people, especially members of the vaping community, would agree that the smoking of other products ought to be banned as well. This is especially true if banning it was really due to a question of the health impact of e-cigarettes, since research on cigarettes has already deemed them unhealthy. This is not the case however.
The document that was submitted to the Supreme Council of Health in Qatar states that they consider electronic cigarettes to be more of a health hazard than regular cigarettes. This opinion is due to the different chemicals inside the vape juice used, so it’s not just due to the nicotine aspect.
There are some groups in Qatar, like Q-Vaping, that attempt to help get people educated on the subject. They help to explain the good and bad side of it in an effort to get the government moving to change the laws, but to no avail so far. There’s no denying that the vaping trend is still catching on in Qatar, even though it is banned.
Overall Conclusion
If you really want to vape in Qatar, you will need to find someone willing to sell the items to you and then make sure not to get caught vaping in public. The punishments aren’t quite as severe for vaping as breaking some other laws, but you will at least have your e-cigarette confiscated and possibly have to pay a fine. No matter what the punishment is for getting caught vaping it is not worth it.
Upon research you may even find that the Qatar police sometimes turn a blind eye to enforcing the rules when it comes to vapes. If you plan to buy a vaping pack in Qatar, whether you found a shop that happens to sell vaping goods or someone on social media, make sure you’re ready to shell out some big money as it will usually cost anywhere from 500-1000 QAR. Also, you’re not going to be able to take it back with you, so be ready to leave it behind when it’s time to head back home.
Honestly, a lot of people vape just to vape, which means it’s something that can be gone without for a week or two during a vacation. It may be better and safer to just leave the vape gear at home and immerse yourself into the world of shisha.
You know what they say, “When in Qatar, do as the Qataris do”, and it will probably make for a better overall trip anyway.