Drug dealers in the UAE are using e-cigarettes as a cover for distributing narcotics to teenagers and young adults, a trend that authorities say is difficult to detect and increasingly common.
Vape cartridges laced with cannabis oil have become a trafficking method of choice, concealed behind the mainstream appeal of vaping devices and complicated by the widespread but medically unsupported perception that e-cigarettes are safer than conventional smoking.
The National Drug Enforcement Authority, working alongside the UAE Government Media Office, has launched a national campaign under the theme United as One to Eradicate the Threat to address the issue.
Authorities said the campaign is intended to build community awareness around these tactics, with a particular focus on families and educational institutions. Multiple arrests have been made as part of enforcement operations targeting dealers who sell drug-laced vaping products.
The campaign sits within a broader policy framework. The UAE adopted its National Anti-Drugs Strategy 2024–2031 in November 2024, setting an objective of making the country entirely drug-free within seven years.
The strategy covers law enforcement, border controls, addiction treatment, rehabilitation, and international cooperation, and sets measurable targets including reductions in drug-related mortality rates per million and addiction rates per 100,000 residents.
Health authorities have also pushed back on the narrative that vaping is a low-risk activity. Many vape users take in higher nicotine concentrations than they would from traditional cigarettes, and chemical flavourings in e-liquids are said to accelerate dependency. Studies cited by officials indicate that vaping triples the likelihood of non-smoking young people transitioning to conventional cigarettes.
The UAE has been a signatory to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control since its early rounds, and continues to contribute to international anti-trafficking efforts. Domestically, smoking cessation clinics offering medical consultations, prescription support, and social groups are operating alongside school-based awareness campaigns. Authorities are also encouraging the public to report suspicious activity related to drug distribution.
