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Category: Global Regulation

  • Vanuatu Eyes Single Cigarette Sales

    Vanuatu Eyes Single Cigarette Sales

    Vanuatu health authorities intensified enforcement of the ban on single cigarette sales, imposing fines of up to VT700,000 ($5,740) for individuals and VT4 million ($32,800) for businesses found in violation. Compliance officers are targeting retailers selling “single sticks,” incorporating tobacco control into routine inspections and acting through confiscations and destruction of illicit products.

    Officials say the crackdown aims to curb youth access, as single-cigarette sales make tobacco more affordable and accessible to minors despite rising pack prices. Authorities are also reinforcing regulations requiring full-pack sales and age verification, alongside public awareness efforts including warning signage at retail points.

  • Alabama Extends Indoor Smoking Ban to Vapes

    Alabama Extends Indoor Smoking Ban to Vapes

    Alabama lawmakers approved amendments that extend existing smoking restrictions to electronic nicotine delivery systems under the state’s Clean Indoor Air Act, which it renamed the Vivian Davis Figures Clean Indoor Air Act. Under the changes, vaping will be prohibited in the same public places where traditional tobacco smoking is banned, including workplaces, restaurants, and government buildings. The updated law, set to take effect October 1, reflects a broader move to align the regulation of emerging nicotine products with established tobacco control measures.

  • Tasmania Intensifies Crackdown on Illicit Tobacco

    Tasmania Intensifies Crackdown on Illicit Tobacco

    Government officials in Tasmania said they are ramping up enforcement against illicit tobacco and vaping products, with authorities seizing goods worth more than A$6.8 million ($4.9 million) since July 2025 and issuing 159 infringement notices. Recent actions include a major Devonport bust where police confiscated illicit tobacco valued at A$390,000 ($281,000), part of broader efforts that have also removed millions of cigarettes, large volumes of loose tobacco, and tens of thousands of e-cigarettes from the market.

    The crackdown is set to be reinforced by new legislation, with the Public Health Amendment Bill 2026 introducing tougher penalties, new offences, and powers to shut down businesses involved in illegal trade. Officials say the measures aim to disrupt organized supply chains, reduce smoking rates, and limit youth access to unregulated nicotine products.

  • Indonesia to Enforce New Vape Rules from July

    Indonesia to Enforce New Vape Rules from July

    Indonesia is set to implement new e-cigarette regulations from July under Government Regulation No. 28/2024, aligning controls more closely with those for conventional cigarettes. The rules will introduce a minimum age of 21, restrict advertising (including social media), set limits on nicotine content, mandate pictorial health warnings, and create smoke-free areas. The move is part of broader efforts to strengthen public health protections, with officials also preparing additional guidelines and highlighting the need to address youth access and marketing practices.

  • Namibia Moves to Tighten Regs on Vapes, Alternative Products

    Namibia Moves to Tighten Regs on Vapes, Alternative Products

    Namibia is reviewing its Tobacco Products Control Act to strengthen oversight of e-cigarettes and other emerging nicotine products, amid rising youth usage and concerns over weak enforcement. Health officials say the reforms aim to close regulatory gaps and curb illicit trade, with plans to join international protocols targeting the black market. Public health experts warn that aggressive marketing and perceptions of reduced harm are driving uptake among young people. At the same time, authorities acknowledge ongoing challenges in enforcement and compliance as demand for vaping products continues to grow.

  • SNP Proposes Vape Display Ban if Re-elected

    SNP Proposes Vape Display Ban if Re-elected

    Scotland’s ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) has pledged to ban the display of vaping products in retail outlets if re-elected, aligning vape regulations more closely with existing tobacco restrictions. The move, aimed at reducing youth appeal linked to colorful packaging and in-store visibility, would be enabled through powers in the UK’s pending Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The proposal builds on existing measures, including the ban on single-use vapes, and reflects broader efforts to tighten controls on nicotine products amid concerns over rising youth usage.

  • French Group Urges Stricter Vape Controls, Plain Packaging

    French Group Urges Stricter Vape Controls, Plain Packaging

    French advocacy group Contre-Feu called for tighter regulation of e-cigarettes, accusing manufacturers of targeting young people through flavored products, packaging, and marketing. The group is pushing for measures including plain packaging, stricter rules on flavor naming, and a ban on online sales, citing survey data showing more than half of 13–16 year-olds are drawn to vaping by sweet or fruity flavors. The intervention comes as smoking rates decline in France, but vaping grows, with the market generating around €1.6 billion annually, highlighting concerns that nicotine companies are shifting focus to sustain demand among younger consumers.

  • Western Australia Tightening Tobacco and Vape Laws

    Western Australia Tightening Tobacco and Vape Laws

    The Government of Western Australia Department of Health updated its website to address the new legislation that it is preparing to implement to strengthen tobacco and vaping controls, targeting the growing illicit market with tougher enforcement measures. The laws make it an offence to sell, supply, or possess illegal tobacco or vape products, grant authorities powers to shut down non-compliant premises, and introduce significantly higher penalties. Public smoke-free areas will also be extended to include vaping.

    The government said further reforms are planned for later in 2026, including stricter rules for landlords and licensing, as part of a broader effort to curb illegal trade and enhance public health protections.

  • Poland Moves to Tax Induction E-Cigarettes

    Poland Moves to Tax Induction E-Cigarettes

    Poland’s government is set to introduce excise duties on induction-based e-cigarettes, aiming to close regulatory gaps that have allowed some products to be taxed at lower rates, according to a report from WNP. Under proposed amendments to the Excise Tax Act, devices and liquid tanks using electromagnetic induction — identified by the presence of a ferromagnetic element — will be classified as e-cigarettes and subject to a PLN 40 ($11.20) per unit tax. The move is part of broader efforts to tighten oversight of emerging vape technologies and ensure consistent taxation across the category.

  • Hong Kong Banning Public Use of Alternative Products

    Hong Kong Banning Public Use of Alternative Products

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will begin enforcing new penalties on April 30, 2026 under the Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, making it an offense to carry or use alternative smoking products in public. The measure applies to electronic cigarettes, e-liquids, and herbal cigarettes, with violators facing fines of up to HK$50,000 ($6,500) and up to six months’ imprisonment under a “one strike” enforcement approach and no transition period. The move is part of a broader tightening of tobacco controls that will also introduce a cigarette duty stamp system and a future ban on flavored conventional smoking products.