Illustration of vaping and nicotine products releasing smoke that forms a skull in the sky.

New and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products in the DRC

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), over 18% of adolescents aged 10–17 have tried some form of tobacco or nicotine product, while nearly 220,000 (0.8%) have reported ever using emerging products such as electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches.

Adolescents aged 10–17 years reported using nicotine pouches (0.7%, 192,000 adolescents) more than e-cigarettes (0.2%, 55,000 adolescents), with the highest prevalence of use among boys.

Despite the growing presence of new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products (NENTPs), the DRC currently lacks comprehensive regulations specifically targeting these products.

Aggressive marketing strategies, including youth-oriented flavors, social media promotion, and advertising near schools, are contributing to the uptake of NENTPs among adolescents in the DRC.

Increasing evidence of the negative impact of traditional tobacco products has led to stricter regulations worldwide, reducing cigarette consumption. In response, the tobacco industry has shifted its focus toward new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products (NENTPs), including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), heated tobacco products (HTPs), and Oral nicotine pouches (ONPs). While these products are often marketed as safer alternatives, their widespread adoption presents new challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like the DRC. According to the Minister of Health in the DRC, no official authorization has been granted for the importation of NENTPs, even though their emergence represents a new challenge in the tobacco control sector. This page examines the prevalence, health effects, and marketing strategies of NENTPs in the DRC. It also provides insights into their impact on public health, regulatory policies, and consumer trends. Finally, it dispels common myths, presents global and local policy responses, and offers recommendations for effective tobacco control measures.

NENTPs are products that represent innovations in the tobacco and nicotine industry, distinct from traditional cigarettes. These emerging products leverage new technologies and are often marketed with claims of reduced harm. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), NENTPs are designed to appeal to new consumers. NENTPs include two types: those made from tobacco leaves and (ii) those made from nicotine. Examples of NENTPs include HTPs, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDs), and ONPs.

Types of New and Emerging Products

Diagram showing categories of new and emerging products

ENDS

ENDS are battery-operated devices that use an electronic element to heat a liquid known as e-liquid to produce an aerosol that is inhaled by the user. This liquid does not contain tobacco, but typically contains nicotine. When the e-liquid does not contain nicotine, the product is an electronic non-nicotine delivery system (ENNDS). The e-liquid also contains flavorings, additives, and other chemicals.

Some electronic delivery systems have a refillable chamber where the e-liquid, cartridge, or pod are used, while others use a pre- filled chamber and are disposable. Examples of ENDS/ENNDS include e-cigarettes, e-pens, e-pipes, e–hookah, and e-cigars.

HTPs

HTPs use a battery-operated heating element to heat a specially designed stick, plug, or capsule containing processed tobacco leaves to create an aerosol that is inhaled by the user. HTPs are heated at lower temperatures than cigarettes, but contain similar chemicals— generally at low levels, but sometimes at higher levels than in cigarettes.

Examples of HTPs include Philip Morris’s IQOS (I Quit Ordinary Smoking) and British American Tobacco’s Glo. Both IQOS and Glo heat tobacco instead of burning it, producing a vapor with nicotine rather than smoke.

ONPs

ONPs are pre-portioned permeable pouches containing dehydrated tobacco-derived nicotine, but no tobacco leaf, dust, or stem.

They are typically placed between the gum and lip, where the nicotine is absorbed gradually. They often come in various flavors, catering to users’ preferences.

The tobacco industry typically sells them in metal tin containers or plastic packages, each containing pouches.

Health impacts of NENTPs

E-cigarettes

ONPs

There are no safe tobacco products, including ONPs. This is particularly true for youth, young adults, and people who are pregnant. Nicotine exposure can harm the developing adolescent brain and is toxic to developing fetuses.

Nicotine can impair the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. Using nicotine in adolescence may also increase the risk for future addiction to other drugs. Other side-effects of ONPs use include gum irritation, sore mouth sores, and an upset stomach. Additional research is needed to understand the health effects of ONPs.

HTPs

HTPs have not been shown to be less harmful than conventional tobacco products. While ongoing research is needed to fully understand their long-term health effects, current evidence shows that these products deliver nicotine, which is highly addictive and harmful.

Nicotine exposure, especially during adolescence, can impair brain development, affecting areas responsible for attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. Additionally, nicotine use during this critical period may increase the risk of future addiction to other substances.

Dual/poly-use with other tobacco products

Studies have demonstrated a high potential for dual or poly-use of NENTPs with one or more other tobacco products, exposing users to an increased risk of harmful and more toxic chemicals.

The combined use of ENDS and cigarettes increases health risks, especially respiratory diseases. In some jurisdictions, young people who experiment with these products have been found to be twice as likely to subsequently initiate use of conventional cigarettes. In Japan, the largest market for HTPs, evidence shows that the use of HTPs does not help cigarette users quit. Instead, users typically continue using both HTPs and cigarettes. Dual users of HTPs and cigarettes are more likely to be exposed to increased risk of tobacco-related diseases and mortality.

Environmental impacts of NENTPs

The growth in the use of e-cigarettes in developed and emerging markets is fast changing the composition of e-waste.

E-cigarettes are manufactured as either reusable or disposables.

Disposable e-cigarettes are more popular among users due to their low cost, and they offer the flexibility of permitting the use of different e-liquid flavors.

Irresponsibly disposed e-cigarette waste poses significant public health and environmental harm due to toxic leachates from lithium-ion batteries and metals such as nickel, silver, and silicate beads.

Used-up cartridges and plastic pods containing nicotine residue also contribute to environmental pollution.

Toxicology reports found that e-cigarette leachates have adverse effects on aquatic animals when ingested.

With the global market of e-cigarettes estimated to grow to US$ 48.9 billion by 2025,

the magnitude of e-waste is also expected to rise. If not responsibly managed, it is predicted that e-cigarette waste has the potential to escalate into a waste management disaster.

The growing demand for rechargeable battery-powered technologies such as smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, and e-cigarettes is contributing to the increasing need for lithium batteries, which often contain cobalt. The DRC is responsible for about 73% of the world’s supply of cobalt.

While cobalt is essential to many clean energy and consumer technologies, its extraction has raised serious concerns due to widespread reports of human rights abuses, including child labor, unsafe working conditions, and exposure to toxic substances. These practices also contribute to environmental degradation, such as habitat destruction and pollution. Although the specific share of cobalt used in e-cigarettes remains unclear, it is important for consumers, especially young people, to be aware of the broader human rights and environmental impacts linked to the production of the technologies they use daily. Raising awareness about these issues can help promote more ethical and sustainable consumption.

Illustration of disposable vapes littering a toxic landfill with factory pollution and warning signs in the background

Cessation and sequence of use

E-cigarettes have been promoted by the tobacco industry as cessation aids for treating nicotine dependence,

despite insufficient research supporting these claims outside clinical trials and insufficient empirical evidence on the effectiveness of e-cigarettes to support smoking cessation at a population level.

Additionally, it has been argued that NENTPs are necessary for people who currently use the traditional tobacco products and are unwilling or unable to quit (“hardened smokers”).

However, evidence shows that in contexts where effective tobacco control is implemented, the remaining base of people who use tobacco show susceptibility towards cessation, smoking fewer cigarettes and making more cessation attempts in a process called “softening.”

In real-world settings, e-cigarettes have not been found to be associated with long-term cessation.

The use of e-cigarettes as a cessation aid has been shown to be associated with a higher likelihood of return to smoking compared with those who did not report using e-cigarettes.

A systematic review found that those who use e-cigarettes were 28% less likely to quit smoking than those who do not use e-cigarettes.

There is widespread evidence that e-cigarettes are strongly related to the initiation and use of combustible cigarettes, particularly among youths.

The marketing strategies for NENTPs have evolved significantly, leveraging modern platforms and targeted approaches to attract new users. Globally, the tobacco industry employs aggressive tactics, including celebrity endorsements, advertising near schools and playgrounds, distributing free products, and producing youth-oriented flavors, to appeal to younger demographics.

In the DRC, the e-cigarette market is in its introductory phase, characterized by low consumer awareness and gradual adoption, particularly among younger populations. The tobacco industry aims to capitalize on Africa’s large and growing youth population, especially those aged 15–24, by marketing e-cigarettes and other alternatives like heated tobacco products as ”safer” options, despite mounting evidence of their health risks. These products are often strategically marketed near educational institutions, social venues, and through digital platforms that appeal to younger demographics.

The tobacco industry interferes with health policies in the DRC, preventing the implementation of effective measures to reduce smoking and protect public health.

Furthermore, the rise of nicotine products, such as ONPs, has introduced new marketing dynamics. These products are promoted through business-to-business advertisements, highlighting their potential to attract new consumers and retain existing ones. The marketing communications to retailers provide insights into new product flavors and styles, as well as future marketing strategies targeting consumers.

Media and social media

While precise data on e-cigarette marketing in the DRC are limited, the lack of specific regulation combined with regional trends suggests that online promotion, particularly through social media, may be increasing. In countries like Senegal, similar patterns have been observed, where digital platforms are becoming key channels for reaching younger audiences. Given the widespread use of social media among youth in sub-Saharan Africa, this form of marketing may be more pervasive and harder to regulate than traditional in-store advertising.

Studies in South Africa show that e-cigarette companies use social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok to target youth with appealing flavors, influencer content, and engaging ads. Around 78% of university students reported seeing such marketing online, which was linked to higher e-cigarette use.

E-cigarette stores

Stores selling emerging products such as ONPs and e-cigarettes are not yet readily available in DRC. However, the WHO reports that these products have been found in multiple locations, in easy-to-reach displays and with enticing flavors such as candy/sweets, fruit, beverages and mint/menthol.

As e-cigarette popularity has grown in other African countries such as South Africa, so has the number of e-cigarette shops selling the devices and paraphernalia.

In addition to being a point-of-sale, there is concern that e-cigarette shops serve as spaces that promote pro-tobacco perceptions of safety and social acceptability. These positive perceptions are important as they may lead to experimentation and eventually to sustained use.

In addition, e-cigarette shops and companies target youth by marketing e-cigarettes with discounts and other promotional schemes and by establishing e-cigarette shops in close physical proximity to college campuses. A study of 240 e-cigarette shops in South Africa found that 50% of these vendors were within a 5km radius of an institute of higher education. The study also found that among adults 18–29 years old, proximity to e-cigarette shops was associated with a higher likelihood of ever having used an e-cigarette.

Flavors

E-cigarette companies in South Africa employ strategies such as offering youth-friendly flavors like “Blueberry Ice,” “Cool Mint,” and “Creamy Tobacco” to attract young consumers. A study found that 58.7% of university students noticed e-cigarette advertisements in stores, with 65.7% of current users exposed to such marketing.

Availability of flavored e-cigarettes is among the top 10 reasons youth report ever trying an e-cigarette.

Advertising

Widespread advertising for e-cigarettes has contributed to youth e-cigarette use. Tobacco companies use the same advertising themes and tactics that have been shown to increase youth initiation of cigarettes and other tobacco products.

They also place ads on television and in other media where ads for other tobacco products, like cigarettes, are not allowed. In 2021, 7 in 10 U.S. middle and high school students reported exposure to e-cigarette marketing.

Most students reported seeing e-cigarette ads or promotions in retail settings.

Although the DRC ratified the WHO FCTC in 2005 and has introduced some regulatory measures, it does not yet have a comprehensive tobacco control policy. Existing measures are limited in scope and enforcement, and significant regulatory gaps remain, particularly concerning NENTPs.

Policies implemented

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has provided policy direction on regulating new and emerging tobacco and nicotine products, specifically HTPs and ENDS, since 2008.

The recommendation is to regulate HTPs like tobacco products under the WHO FCTC guidelines.

This is because HTPs were recognized as tobacco products at the Eighth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and the provisions of the WHO FCTC fully apply. However, ENDS can be regulated as consumer, tobacco, or pharmaceutical products, depending on their situation (e.g., their wide availability and prevalence of use) in each country.

Specifically, WHO recommends that these products be banned and strictly regulated, or if used as cessation aids, then be regulated like pharmaceutical products. Further, given that ENDS contain nicotine—a highly addictive component of tobacco—they can also be subject to tobacco control strategies like taxation.

NENTPs and the WHO FCTC

The DRC has not yet adopted specific regulations for NENTPs, such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. This regulatory gap reflects ongoing challenges in adapting to shifts in the tobacco and nicotine market. Although current use among adolescents remains low, rising trends highlight the need for timely oversight. WHO recommends regulating these products either as tobacco products or as medicines to ensure adequate public health protection.

E-cigarette bans by country

Across Africa, regulatory responses to ENDS and emerging tobacco products vary widely. While some countries have adopted comprehensive bans on sales, importation, and public use, others have implemented partial restrictions, such as age limits, advertising prohibitions, or classification of ENDS as tobacco derivatives. In certain contexts, these products are treated under broader tobacco control frameworks or targeted through ministerial directives. This diversity reflects differing national priorities, enforcement capacities, and interpretations of public health risk.

E-cigarette bans by country

Source:

Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Tobacco Control Laws, 2025. Available: https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/.

John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Tobacco Control Laws, 2025. Available: https://www.globaltobaccocontrol.org/en

Regulations in African countries

Prevalence of e-cigarettes abroad

Egypt: E-cigarette sales are prohibited by the Ministry of Health. However, the Ministry of Interior is currently drafting new regulations that would permit their sale and regulation.

Botswana: The Tobacco Control Act in Botswana includes provisions specifically addressing ENDS, prohibiting their sale to anyone under 18 and restricting their use in public spaces.

The Gambia: The Tobacco Control Act of 2016 prohibits the sale, possession, distribution, and importation of nicotine-containing and non-nicotine products. There is also a ban on all domestic and cross-border tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.

Senegal: Law No. 2014-14 (Concerning the Manufacture, Packaging, Labelling, Sale, and Use of Tobacco) is interpreted to include e-cigarettes. The law prohibits the advertisement and promotion (direct or indirect) of tobacco, tobacco products, and tobacco derivatives, and also prohibits advertising non-tobacco products in a way that may promote tobacco products. It also applies restrictions on public smoking and packaging.

Togo: The Tobacco Control Law, 2011 (and associated decrees from 2013 and 2015), defines ENDS as “derivative products” of tobacco and prohibits the provision of ENDS to anyone under 18 years, prohibits advertising and promotion, and prohibits smoking in public places/transport outside of designated areas. ENDS face duties and fees, are not eligible for tax exemptions, and are taxed at a 45% ceiling. These policies are understood by government officials to also regulate ENNDS, although this is not explicitly stated in the law.

Uganda: There is a ban on the sale, distribution, importation, manufacture, or processing of ENDS and ENNDS, as set out in the Tobacco Control Act, 2015.

The law does not address the use or advertising of e-cigarettes.

Impact of banning NENTPs

The available evidence on banning new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products from across the world is mixed. In the U.S., banning NENTPs resulted in unintended outcomes, such as an increased likelihood of purchasing illicit tobacco products. However, monetary fines on those who engaged in illicit emerging products were found to reduce illegal purchases.

On the other hand, some studies have found that while the ban on these products may be effective in reducing their prevalence and consumption, it could also lead to increased consumption of traditional cigarettes.

Furthermore, some countries that have implemented such bans face challenges in enforcement due to limited technical, financial, and human resources. This lack of capacity often results in the flouting of bans, undermining their effectiveness. Taken together, the available evidence suggests that comprehensive bans of NENTPs alone may not be fully effective in reducing their sales and consumption, and may have unintended outcomes. Thus, other policies that mitigate illicit trade, alongside increased enforcement capacity, should also be considered when implementing these bans.

The role of various people in addressing NENTP use

Myth: Nicotine products can be used to reduce the addiction to traditional tobacco products, such as cigarettes, as a component of harm reduction therapy (HRT).

Reality: Current evidence indicates that NENTPs have adverse effects on health.

Myth: Nicotine products facilitate the reduction of addiction to tobacco, such as cigarettes, as a component of HRT.

Reality: Nicotine has been demonstrated to function as a precursor to other forms of substance abuse. A significant number of adolescent drug and alcohol abusers identify nicotine as their initial substance of abuse.

Myth: E-cigarettes are a healthy alternative to smoking.

Reality: Although e-cigarettes deliver nicotine differently than conventional cigarettes, they are still harmful to users’ health.

The complexities of these products present a regulatory challenge globally. Lessons learned from regulatory actions, mostly in high-income countries (HICs), emphasise the importance of comprehensive ENDS regulations that address all aspects, including advertising, promotion, sponsorship, and taxation. Additionally, restricting or banning the sale of ENDS products with flavors that appeal to young people can have a crucial role in preventing youth use.

In order to address the regulatory challenges posed by NENTPs, the following measures are recommended, drawing on experiences from HICsand in line with the WHO FCTC:

Apply WHO FCTC measures to NENTPs, including restrictions on advertising, promotion, sponsorship (Article 13), and taxation (Article 6).
Impose taxes on NENTPs, particularly on HTPs, which has been shown to reduce consumption without increasing cigarette use,
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aligning with FCTC Article 6.
Restrict or ban flavored products that appeal to youth, to prevent initiation and long-term use, consistent with measures under FCTC Article 9 and 10 on the regulation of contents and disclosure of tobacco products.
Consider product bans in contexts such as the DRC, where youth use remains low, ensuring rigorous enforcement to prevent illicit trade, as recommended under FCTC Article 15.
Governments and regulatory bodies must demand and facilitate funding for independent, high-quality research into the health impacts of NENTPs in order to make informed decisions.

New and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products in the DRC

Types of new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products (NENTPs)

ENDS

HTPs

ONPs

Youth prevalence of NENTPs use

Health and environmental impact of NENTPs

Marketing of nicotine products in DRC

Regulation of NENTPs

Myths and facts of NENTPs

Recommendations

References