E-cigarette users heading to this year's World Cup have been warned against vaping as any violators face hefty fines of up to 10,000 riyals (£2,200) or up to three months in prison.

Fans are being urged to check Qatar's nicotine consumption rules before travelling, as the use of e-cigarettes or the importation of e-cigarettes is prohibited in the country.

Vaping has been illegal in Qatar since 2014, and figures from the UK suggest that around 3.3 million UK nationals use e-cigarettes. To this end, Britons are advised to use other smoking cessation methods when travelling to Qatar or face potentially severe penalties such as fines or up to three months in prison.

The warning was issued by UK online retailer Vape Club, as a large number of UK vapers are also football fans. Given the progressive vaping laws in the UK, many of these travelling vapers may be wrong to think that regulations are equally lax elsewhere.

In Qatar, the use and import of vaping products has been banned since 2014.

In 2016, Dr. Kholood al-Mutawaa, director of the non-communicable diseases department at the Ministry of Public Health, said that Qatar banned e-cigarettes under a 2014 ministerial order. We have instructed all supermarkets, pharmacies and other outlets not to sell. We have also communicated with customs authorities at airports, seaports and land borders not to allow e-cigarettes into Qatar.

"We have instructed all supermarkets, pharmacies and other stores not to sell it. We have also communicated with customs at airports, seaports and borders that e-cigarettes are not allowed into Qatar. People cannot bring it into this country or order it from other countries. . Others can't be sent to the country. Anyone in possession of an e-cigarette could be charged with taking appropriate action."

Vape Club director Dan Marchant stressed that due to the UK's progressive attitude towards vaping, British nationals may be more likely than others to unknowingly get into trouble.

“Because the UK has such a progressive attitude towards harm reduction and recognises the huge role vaping can play in achieving a smoke-free future, we tend to forget that there are many other countries in the world that are far behind us. How can any country ban The use of e-cigarettes is beyond my comprehension and seems totally anti-science and anti-public health.”

“I just hope that ex-smokers don’t find themselves back on cigarettes in Qatar. There’s a real danger. E-cigarettes, deprived of their use as a source of nicotine to replace harmful tobacco products, can easily make people back on cigarettes in Qatar. Once that happens In this case, it could put smokers back on cigarettes for months or years before they can quit smoking again."