CANBERRA, 29 JANUARY 2026 (NIT) — Vaping is on the rise across the Pacific, according to reports from the World Health Organisation (WHO), as a number of island governments scramble to respond to an increasing black market for vapes, which are causing exceeding harm to public health.
As of early 2026, the World Health Organisation and its associated international health authorities are urgently addressing what they term a “new wave” of nicotine addiction driven by vaping which is increasingly targeting young Pasifika people.
The World Health Organisation estimates 15 per cent of vapers around the globe are adolescents, as young as 13 to 15 years of age, however, according to recent figures, young Māori people are vaping at 19.7 per cent while 16.3 per cent of their Samoan peers also pursue the habit.
Head of the World Health Organisation’s No Tobacco Unit, Vinayak Prasad, said the focus this year is on strengthening regulations to combat health risks.
“Young people are being targeted by design, flavours and slick packaging, and deceptive marketing are being used to make highly addictive and harmful products seem fashionable,” he said.
“The result is a cycle of addiction threatening to undo years of tobacco-control progress.”
Palau, which consists of 340 islands but just 18,000 residents, became the first Pacific nation to outlaw the electronic cigarettes in 2023 after President Surangel Whipps Jr signed a law for “a total ban on the import, advertising, sale, and use of e-cigarettes”.
The Cook Islands have banned the sale and importation of imitation tobacco products including vapes, however visitors aged over 21 years old to the Māori-named Kūki ‘Airani are permitted to bring in one device and up to 30ml of e-liquid for their own personal use, which must be taken on departure.
Elsewhere, the Papua New Guinea government introduced severe penalties for violators of its own ban on vaping products, which was implemented in May last year.
The Solomon Islands also announced a vaping crackdown a couple of months after its Melanesian neighbour, after specific regulations which were previously underdeveloped amid a new proposal to strengthen its 2010 Tobacco Act to cover e-cigarettes and ban further promotion.
Vaping remains legal in most parts of Fiji, however, is subject to increasing regulation under the Tobacco Control Decree framework where retailers must at least register the sale of products. Bans in certain places on the island still remains somewhat ambiguous.
In a recent statement, the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service advised the public of ongoing investigations into the importation of vape products which entered the country without the required permits, after reportedly noticing significant increases in online advertisements promoting vaping sales.
“The public is reminded that the importation of vape products for commercial purposes requires an official permit issued by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services,” the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service said in a statement.
“Any vape products imported without the necessary permits will be confiscated.”
The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service had reported the detection of a large consignment which was imported without a valid permit and had an incorrectly declared quantity.
“Any attempt to smuggle vape products or provide false or misleading information constitutes a serious offence and will result in forfeiture and further regulatory action,” the statement concluded.
“We strongly advise all individuals and businesses intending to import vape products to consult with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to ensure full compliance with the relevant importation requirements…. PACNEWS