The Ministry of Health Approves Sanitary Registry of the “Morning After Pill” has officially delayed the implementation of the highly anticipated Technical Regulation RTCR 519-2025, which outlines strict guidelines for the sale, manufacturing, and marketing of vape liquids in Costa Rica.

Initially scheduled to take effect on August 6 of this year—six months after its publication on February 6, 2026—a newly signed decree on June 26 has pushed the enforcement date back by a full year, moving the deadline to August 6, 2027.

According to health officials, the extension is intended to strengthen the technical, operational, and administrative capacities required to properly enforce the law and monitor market compliance.

Strengthening Oversight with Advanced Technology

As part of the preparation process, the Ministry of Health announced it is currently acquiring an inductively coupled plasma spectrometer. This high-precision, specialized laboratory equipment will allow authorities to thoroughly analyze the components of vaping products, identify potentially toxic or hazardous substances, and verify that products meet the exact technical specifications of the law.

Health authorities emphasized that this delay is strictly administrative. The amendment does not modify, eliminate, or loosen any of the original safety restrictions. The rules remain entirely unchanged; only the timeline for implementation has shifted.

What Does the Regulation Cover?

he RTCR 519-2025 framework is comprehensive, applying to all nicotine and nicotine-free vape liquids, whether they are imported or manufactured locally within Costa Rica. It affects everyone involved in the supply chain, including manufacturers, repackagers, distributors, importers, and retailers.

Once fully enforced in 2027, the regulation will introduce the following measures:

• Strict Flavor Restrictions: It will prohibit the manufacture, import, and sale of liquids containing flavorings outside of a strictly approved technical list of 16 permitted compounds.
• Aroma Bans: Devices, pods, and cartridges that emit appealing aromas mimicking fruits, desserts, spices, or other sweets will be restricted.
• Packaging and Marketing Controls: Packaging will no longer be allowed to feature images, shapes, or branding tied to food, fruits, desserts, toys, fictional characters, or popular public figures like artists, athletes, and influencers.

The regulation does not outright ban all vaping products. Instead, it creates a robust legal structure governing chemical composition, labeling, advertising, promotion, laboratory testing, waste disposal, and sanitary surveillance.

During this transition year, the Ministry plans to ramp up educational campaigns in schools and communities to prevent children and adolescents from picking up the habit.

“Protecting the population’s health remains our priority,” stated the Vice Minister of Health, Juan Carlos Esquivel. “This extension does not represent a step backward in regulation; on the contrary, it will allow us to implement the regulation with better technical, scientific, and operational capacities to guarantee more effective oversight and especially protect our children and adolescents.”

Anti-Tobacco Advocates Raise Alarms over “Bureaucracy”

The decision to delay enforcement has met sharp criticism from public health advocates. Nydia Amador, President of the National Anti-Tobacco Network (Renata), publicly questioned the Ministry’s timing and efficiency.

“We ask ourselves with deep concern: if the regulation was published at the beginning of this year, why wait until the last minute to halt it due to technical-administrative procedures?” Amador asked.

Renata argues that the one-year delay directly benefits the tobacco and nicotine industries at the expense of public health, leaving youth vulnerable to aggressive marketing tactics for another twelve months.

“In the end, with this inefficiency and bureaucracy, the only beneficiary is the tobacco and nicotine industry, while the health of our children is put on hold,” Amador protested. “We demand answers and a true sense of urgency.”

- Advertisement -