{"id":18380,"date":"2026-10-29T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=18380"},"modified":"2026-10-29T09:52:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T14:52:21","slug":"50-of-tobacco-in-panama-is-illegal-health-officials-warn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/crime-safety\/50-of-tobacco-in-panama-is-illegal-health-officials-warn\/","title":{"rendered":"50% of Tobacco in Panama Is Illegal, Health Officials Warn"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Roughly 50 percent of tobacco products sold in Panama are believed to come from illegal sources<\/a>, according to health authorities tracking the illicit tobacco trade<\/a><\/strong>. The estimate emerged during the second working group session on Article 24 of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade<\/a> in Tobacco Products<\/a>, which brought together representatives from multiple regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ministry of Health (Minsa)<\/a> delivered the figure as part of ongoing efforts to measure and counter smuggling networks<\/a> that undercut legal markets and evade tax collection. Officials framed the problem as both a public health crisis and a financial drain on state revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Illegal
Illegal Tobacco in Panama. By Minsa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illicit Tobacco Trade and Emerging Products<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Miguel Jord\u00e1n, a physician with the Non-Communicable Diseases Department at Minsa, acknowledged that precise data remains elusive for newer nicotine products such as vapes. The ministry currently lacks a reliable measurement of illegal vaping product circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To close that gap, Minsa is partnering with the Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies on a market study. The research aims to produce specific information that can strengthen control measures and better protect consumers from unregulated devices and liquids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senafront encontr\u00f3 40 mil cigarrillos en el maletero de un taxi durante una revisi\u00f3n en San Isidro. Un ciudadano fue aprehendido por presunto contrabando. https:\/\/t.co\/4sPiCvlqgL<\/p>— Mi Diario Panam\u00e1 (@MiDiarioPanama) October 28, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>\n