Smuggled vapes from China are poisoning Pakistan

On the weekend of February 7th, Lahore was hosting its annual Book Expo. Major publishers, bookstores, and importers had set up elaborate stalls at the Expo Centre in Johar Town. The largescale event is an annual mainstay for the city. But right next door, in halls 1 and 2 of the Expo Centre, a much larger exhibition was taking place. 

This was the Vape Expo Pakistan 2025.

The scale of the event would have been more alarming if it had not been so comically caricaturish. Outside, long lines of men (many barely out of their teens) shuffled about to get inside, restlessly tapping their feet and fiddling with their phones. Inside, the air was thick with clouds of candy-scented vapor, pulsating neon lights, and the bass-heavy thump of a live concert. The hall floor was dotted with massive stalls from international vape brands. Some were offering free samples. Others were showcasing disposable vapes that double as a cellphone and a speaker. While virtually the entire crowd was men, all of the stalls were manned by young women in their early-twenties smartly dressed in brand attire. Many were university students trying to make some money on the side. 

It was a spectacle of indulgence, a carnival of consumption, and a stark reminder of Pakistan’s unlikely status as a vaping haven.

The sale of e-vapour products is a high-margin, high-volume business that has been growing fast. In the span of just three years, the sales of e-vapour products have more than doubled in Pakistan, growing from Rs 2.8 billion in retail sales in 2021, to over Rs 6.4 billion in 2023, which is when the latest data is available from.