Are Nicotine Pouches Legal in Panama? (Yes, 18+, Strict Rules)

By PouchGuide Editorial Team · Published October 19, 2026

Yes, nicotine pouches are legal in Panama for adults 18 and over, but tightly regulated. Ministry of Health Resolution No. 146 of 2025 names “oral nicotine products” (PNO) alongside e-cigarettes and heated tobacco. Since August 13, 2025, sellers must check ID, keep pouches out of customers’ reach, not advertise them in any way, and sell them only in packs with graphic health warnings. You also can’t use pouches in the places where smoking is banned.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check official sources before you buy or travel.

What does Resolution No. 146 say about nicotine pouches?

The resolution was signed on January 31, 2025 and published in the Gaceta Oficial (No. 30218) on February 13, 2025. It took effect six months later. Its first article bans:

“the use, the sale to minors; the advertising, promotion, sponsorship and propaganda of […] electronic cigarettes […], conventional heated tobacco products and oral nicotine products (PNO), among others.”

Here, “use” means use in the places listed in Article 4, not everywhere.

What rules apply to nicotine pouches in Panama?

• 18+ with ID: sales to minors are banned. Sellers must verify age with a national ID card, driver’s license, passport or other official ID, and minors can’t work selling these products.
• Signs: shops must post a large notice at each entrance and checkout stating that sales to minors are prohibited.
• Out of reach: shops can’t keep pouches where customers can take them directly, only in closed display cases or shelves. Street vendors face the same rule, and vending machines are banned.
• Total advertising ban: all advertising, promotion, sponsorship and propaganda is banned, including cross-border ads that reach Panama. Shops may only show a plain text price list of up to 8.5 × 11 inches. Free samples are banned.
• Health warnings: packs must carry the warning “EL USO DE ESTE PRODUCTO PUEDE CAUSAR LA MUERTE” (“Use of this product can cause death”) on the side, plus a rotating pictorial warning covering 50% of the front and back.
• Registration: importers, wholesalers, retailers and online sellers need an operating notice from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Manufacturers and importers must notify the Ministry of Health three months before importing.

Where can’t you use nicotine pouches in Panama?

Article 4 bans using regulated products, including oral nicotine products, wherever smoking is banned under Law 13 of 2008:

• public and private offices
• public transport and transport terminals
• enclosed places open to the public
• sports venues, open or enclosed
• common areas of commercial and residential buildings
• enclosed workplaces
• schools and health facilities

The ban extends to other places, including recreational and sports areas, swimming pools, saunas and bathrooms. Managers of these places must enforce it.

Can you buy nicotine pouches online in Panama?

Yes, from registered sellers. The resolution doesn’t ban online sales. Online sellers need the same operating notice as shops, and sales to minors remain banned.

Can travelers bring nicotine pouches into Panama?

Yes. A reasonable amount for personal use is fine, and you can buy pouches locally if you’re 18 or over. Remember that you can’t use them on public transport, in offices, in enclosed public places or at airports and terminals. See our travel guide.

Is Panama planning new rules?

Possibly. Several bills to regulate e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and oral nicotine products by law, including Bill 467 of 2025, are before the National Assembly. A 2022 law banning e-cigarettes was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2024 over a procedural defect, which is why the Ministry of Health has regulated these products by resolution.

How Panama compares

Panama’s rules are among the strictest in Latin America for a country where pouches are legal. Peru and Colombia allow pouches with lighter rules, while Brazil bans them and Mexico treats them as a gray area. Panama’s ban on using pouches in smoke-free places is similar to Slovenia’s.

Bottom line

Nicotine pouches are legal in Panama for adults 18 and over. Since August 2025 they can’t be advertised, displayed within customers’ reach or used in smoke-free places, and their packs carry graphic warnings. See our legal status overview for other countries.