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Category: Global Regulation

  • Newsweek Names States with Toughest Vape Laws as CA Plans Ban

    Newsweek Names States with Toughest Vape Laws as CA Plans Ban

    As California moves toward becoming the first state to ban disposable nicotine vapes, Newsweek examined states with some of the toughest restrictions on vaping products. California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Utah have enacted statewide restrictions on flavored vaping products, with Utah removing exemptions for menthol and mint in 2025.

    A separate regulatory approach is gaining ground through state vape directories, which require products to appear on government-approved lists before they can legally be sold. Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin have enacted directory laws, according to Newsweek.

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed Assembly Bill 762, which prohibits the import and manufacture for sale of covered disposable nicotine vaping devices beginning Jan. 1, 2027, followed by a ban on their sale, distribution, and retail offering beginning Jan. 1, 2028. The law covers single-use devices that are not designed to be reused, but excludes cannabis vaping products, and violations can carry penalties of $500 for a first offense and up to $2,000 for subsequent violations.

  • UK Vaping Duty Takes Effect

    UK Vaping Duty Takes Effect

    The UK’s new Vaping Products Duty took effect today (Oct. 1), imposing an excise duty of £2.20 per 10ml of vaping liquid, including nicotine-free products, while a new vaping duty-stamp scheme is being phased in to improve supply-chain traceability and help combat illicit trade. Manufacturers, importers, and warehousekeepers are responsible for the duty, with existing unstamped inventory eligible to be sold through March 31, 2027. From April 1, 2027, all vaping products sold in the UK must carry a valid duty stamp. Retailers caught selling unstamped products after the grace period could face significant penalties. HMRC can seize non-compliant stock and issue fines of up to £10,000, with penalties increasing for repeat offences. In the most serious cases, businesses could also face criminal investigation, an unlimited fine or imprisonment.

    The government said the measures are intended to reduce vaping’s affordability and appeal, particularly among young people and nonsmokers, while tobacco duty is also increasing by an additional £2.20 per 100 cigarettes or 50 grams of tobacco on top of the existing duty escalator.

    The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) criticized the new duty, with Director General John Dunne calling it a public-health tax and arguing that higher prices could push some consumers toward smoking or illicit products. UKVIA cited its survey of nearly 3,500 adult vapers, which it said found about half would consider returning to smoking or the black market following the duty. Separately, Haypp’s Head of External Affairs UK and Scientific Affairs, Dr. Marina Murphy, said retailers face additional compliance requirements, including managing unstamped inventory, maintaining records, and ensuring new stock carries the required stamps.

    The government said the duty is expected to raise more than £550 million annually by 2030-31 and is providing £30 million a year through 2028-29 for Trading Standards, Border Force, and HMRC to tackle illicit and underage sales of tobacco and vapes.

  • Alabama Expands Indoor Vaping Ban, Imposes New Vapor Tax

    Alabama Expands Indoor Vaping Ban, Imposes New Vapor Tax

    Two Alabama laws affecting electronic nicotine products take effect today (Oct. 1), expanding the state’s Clean Indoor Air Act to prohibit vaping in covered public indoor spaces and imposing a new 10-cent-per-milliliter excise tax on consumable vapor products. Senate Bill 9 expands the definition of smoking under the Clean Indoor Air Act to include vaping in locations such as restaurants, workplaces, retail stores, health facilities, educational facilities, airports, and government buildings.

    Separately, wholesalers and registered retailers will be responsible for collecting and remitting the new vapor products tax and must obtain a Vapor Products Tax License from the Alabama Department of Revenue. Businesses that fail to comply may face penalties, while a 4.75% discount is available for tax payments filed and paid by the 20th of the following month.

  • FDA Seeks New Scientific, Consumer Voices for Advisory Committees

    FDA Seeks New Scientific, Consumer Voices for Advisory Committees

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched a nationwide recruitment effort for scientific, technical, professional, and consumer representatives to serve on FDA advisory committees. The agency said it is seeking candidates with expertise across multiple scientific fields and will consider nominations for current and anticipated vacancies, with terms of up to four years.

    The recruitment could be relevant to the tobacco sector because FDA advisory committees can provide independent scientific and consumer input on FDA-regulated products, although the announcement does not specifically identify tobacco-related committee vacancies. The FDA said nominations for consumer representatives should be submitted by Nov. 15, while nominations for scientific, technical, professional, and other voting members should be submitted by Nov. 30 for consideration for current and near-term vacancies.

    The news comes after Dr. Bret Koplow, director of the FDA CTP, told attendees at GTNF 2026 in Lisbon that the Center is short-staffed and was looking to hire more scientists.

  • Korea Weighs Raising Cigarette Prices as Smoking Rates Fall

    Korea Weighs Raising Cigarette Prices as Smoking Rates Fall

    South Korea is considering higher cigarette prices as conventional smoking rates continue to decline, according to The Seoul Economic Daily. The share of adults who smoke cigarettes fell to 17% in 2025 from 23.9% in 2016, according to the 2025 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey released Sept. 30 by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The smoking rate was 28% among men and 5.5% among women. The decline accelerated after the government raised the price of a pack to 4,500 won ($3.33) in 2015 from 2,500 won ($1.85).

    South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare has included raising cigarette prices toward the OECD average as a medium- to long-term goal in its 6th National Health Promotion Master Plan for 2026-2030. Analysts say cigarette prices have since failed to keep pace with inflation, with consumer prices rising 22.8% since 2015 while cigarette prices remained unchanged. The average cigarette price across the 38 OECD member countries was 9,869 won ($7.30) in 2023, more than twice South Korea’s price.

  • FDA Streamlines Tobacco Product Registration and Listing Process

    FDA Streamlines Tobacco Product Registration and Listing Process

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Sept. 28 launched a redesigned Form FDA 3741 that consolidates establishment registration and product listing submissions for all regulated tobacco product categories, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, heated tobacco products, and oral nicotine products such as nicotine pouches. The change replaces two previously separate forms, Form FDA 3741 and Form FDA 3741a, and is intended to simplify the process for manufacturers by eliminating the need to determine which form applies to different product categories.

    The redesigned form includes a submission checklist that directs manufacturers to the sections relevant to their filing and allows companies updating existing registrations to change specific information without resubmitting unchanged sections. The FDA is also encouraging manufacturers to use the new Form FDA 3741b spreadsheet for initial product-list submissions or additions to existing product lists. Domestic tobacco product manufacturers must submit annual establishment registrations by Dec. 31, while product listings are due June 30 and Dec. 31 when manufacturers have made certain changes to their products or manufacturing operations.

    The FDA said manufacturers should submit the redesigned Form FDA 3741 electronically through its Tobacco Registration and Listing Module Next Generation (TRLM NG) system, although paper submissions remain available for companies unable to file electronically. Existing registrations and product listings will remain in TRLM NG, and manufacturers do not need to resubmit their entire registration because of the change. The previous versions of Forms FDA 3741 and 3741a have been retired, with existing TRLM NG users receiving prompts to update registration and product-listing information using the new format.

  • NZ Proposes Tougher Penalties for Tobacco Smuggling

    NZ Proposes Tougher Penalties for Tobacco Smuggling

    New Zealand is proposing tougher penalties for tobacco smuggling and excise evasion, including increasing the maximum prison term from six months to seven years. The government also plans to introduce new offenses and fines for selling tobacco that does not comply with the country’s packaging requirements, including a fine of up to NZ$2,000 ($1,120) and a strict-liability penalty of up to NZ$200,000 ($112,000) for manufacturers, importers, and distributors. The maximum penalty for an existing knowledge-based packaging offense would increase from NZ$50,000 to NZ$100,000 ($28,000 to $ $56,000).

    The changes would be introduced through amendments to the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990. The government said Customs seized 12 million cigarettes and 1.7 tons of loose tobacco at the border between January and Sept. 1. The proposals would also align penalties for selling small quantities of tobacco with those for packaging offenses and strengthen consequences for specialist vape retailers that breach regulations.

  • Italy’s New Cigarette Prices Take Effect

    Italy’s New Cigarette Prices Take Effect

    Beginning today (Sept. 28), Italy implemented another round of tobacco price increases, with updated Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) price lists covering about 75 products, including cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, and fine-cut tobacco, according to La Sicilia. Increases are as much as €0.30 per pack, with several Japan Tobacco International brands affected, including Camel, Winston, and Benson & Hedges. Examples cited by La Sicilia include Camel hard packs at €6.30, Winston at €5.80, and Benson & Hedges Gold at €6.80.

    The latest increases follow adjustments in January that affected Philip Morris brands, including Marlboro. The price changes are linked to Italy’s revised tobacco excise structure, which raises the fixed component of the cigarette excise duty from €32 per 1,000 cigarettes in 2026 to €35.50 in 2027 and €38.50 from 2028. Minimum tax charges for fine-cut tobacco and cigarillos are also scheduled to increase through 2028.

  • Türkiye Drafting Tobacco Control Bill That Includes Generational Ban

    Türkiye Drafting Tobacco Control Bill That Includes Generational Ban

    Türkiye is preparing legislation that would prohibit people born after Jan. 1, 2015, from using or selling tobacco products throughout their lives, according to Professor Toker Ergüder, who is involved in drafting the proposal. The Health Ministry has been preparing the legislation for about a year and is expected to submit it to Parliament in October. The draft would also tighten smoking restrictions in indoor and outdoor public spaces, introduce new cigarette packaging rules, eliminate slim cigarettes, and prohibit smoking in restaurant areas, while designated smoking areas would be established in parks and public-building grounds. The proposal also includes a longer-term plan to prohibit tobacco production and sales in Türkiye from 2040. Ergüder said annual cigarette sales increased from about 91,000 tons, or 4.5 billion packs, in 2012 to approximately 160,000 tons, or 8 billion packs, in 2025.

  • Trump Administration Looking to Change PMTA Process

    Trump Administration Looking to Change PMTA Process

    The Trump administration is reportedly preparing changes to the FDA’s review process for new tobacco products that could make it faster and easier for products such as flavored vapes and nicotine pouches to receive marketing authorization, according to The Wall Street Journal. The FDA is expected to revisit requirements established in 2021 for Premarket Tobacco Product Applications (PMTAs), following years of industry criticism over lengthy reviews.

    Reuters reported it could not independently verify the report, but quoted an HHS spokesperson as saying, “The Trump administration is committed to keeping nicotine out of the hands of kids, getting ⁠counterfeit vaping products off the streets and providing safer alternatives for adults who want to quit smoking cigarettes.”

    Industry groups and companies welcomed the potential changes. Laura Leigh Oyler, vice president of regulatory affairs at Haypp Group USA, said the FDA has not met congressional review deadlines for noncombustible products and has authorized fewer than 100 reduced-risk products compared with thousands of combustible products. “An overhaul isn’t just welcome, it’s necessary,” Oyler said, adding that the current process has contributed to the influx of foreign, illicit products.

    Charlie’s Holdings also supported the reported changes, saying it has been seeking FDA authorization for certain tobacco-derived nicotine e-liquids since 2020 and hundreds of synthetic nicotine products since 2022. CEO Henry Sicignano said the PMTA process has imposed high costs on smaller U.S. businesses while illicit products have entered the market. Charlie’s said it currently retains 678 timely filed PMTA assets and expects a streamlined authorization process to increase the value of its portfolio.