The Ministry of Commerce and Industry detailed how emergency teams from Al Ahmadi and Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorates worked with the Juvenile Protection Department at the Ministry of Interior to inspect a commercial establishment. Officers caught the retailer in the act of selling cigarettes to underage consumers, breaching laws that regulate tobacco products, according to a ministry statement. Authorities closed the shop at once and began legal proceedings against those involved. A study published in the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal in 2024 noted that Kuwait maintains a minimum legal age of 21 for tobacco purchases, higher than the 18 years set in other GCC countries.
Kuwait’s anti-smoking legislation, including Law No. 15 of 1995, underpins these enforcement actions, as tracked by the Tobacco Control Laws database. The violation triggered swift shutdown measures under the applicable commercial regulations. Such operations reflect ongoing efforts to curb underage access to tobacco products across retail outlets.
In a distinct action, teams from Al Jahra and Al Farwaniyah governorates collaborated with the Ministry of Interior to close a health institute. The facility had violated several ministerial decisions, among them a prohibition on cash transactions for specified activities, the ministry reported. Officials identified further breaches at the site and pursued legal steps against the parties responsible.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry had earlier issued Ministerial Decision No. 27 of 2026 in March, which banned the sale of tobacco, e-cigarettes and related items through delivery platforms or digital channels, according to a report by Tobacco Journal International. That decision outlined penalties ranging from warnings to temporary closures and potential license revocation for repeat offenses. The July 23 actions build on this framework of tightened controls.
Data from the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction indicates that nicotine-containing vapes are classified as tobacco-related products in Kuwait under a 2020 ministerial decision aligned with UAE standards. Enforcement focuses on both physical retail and emerging online channels. The ministry’s latest statement outlined the specific governorates involved in the dual operations but provided no further breakdown of the additional violations at the health institute.
Coordination between the commerce and interior ministries has featured in prior tobacco-related enforcement rounds, with the Juvenile Protection Department often participating in checks on retailers. A separate 2026 regulatory update from ECig Intelligence highlighted Kuwait’s moderate approach to tobacco control while increasing alignment with GCC-wide initiatives. These closures represent the latest in a series of targeted interventions to address compliance gaps.
