TobaccoReporter logo

Category: Global Regulation

  • NC Budget Adds $1,000 Vape Shop Tax, Age Mandate

    NC Budget Adds $1,000 Vape Shop Tax, Age Mandate

    North Carolina’s new $34.4 billion state budget includes requirements for vape retailers, imposing a $1,000 annual tax on vape shops and requiring them to verify that customers are at least 21 years old. Retailers who already follow the federal Tobacco 21 law said the age-verification requirement formalizes existing practices, while the new tax will increase operating costs. The changes are part of the state’s broader effort to strengthen oversight of vape sales and reduce youth access to nicotine products.

    According to ABC News 13, the budget measures have prompted calls from tobacco-control advocates to expand regulation beyond vaping products to include cigarettes, cigars, and nicotine pouches. Advocates also continue to push for Solly’s Law, which would establish a statewide tobacco retail licensing system and align North Carolina’s enforcement framework with the federal minimum tobacco sales age of 21. Retailers say they support reasonable regulations that promote compliance and keep nicotine products out of the hands of minors.

  • Illicit Trade Picking Up in Wales

    Illicit Trade Picking Up in Wales

    Authorities in Newport, Wales, say their city has become a hotspot for the illicit tobacco and vape trade, having already identified 17 businesses selling illegal products since January 2026 and taking enforcement action against 14, including closures and prosecutions. Trading Standards seized 272,740 illicit cigarettes, 85.25 kg of hand-rolling tobacco, and 9,694 illegal vaping devices so far this year, following 59 seizures and 46 closure orders in 2025.

    With 9.8 vape shops per 100,000 people, Newport ranks eighth in the U.K. for vape shops per capita, fueling concerns over the rapid growth of the sector as officials say the illegal trade undermines legitimate retailers and is linked to wider criminal activity.

  • Hawaii Bans Disposable Vapes

    Hawaii Bans Disposable Vapes

    Hawaii Gov. Josh Green signed legislation banning the sale, distribution, and offering for sale of disposable electronic smoking devices beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Under SB 2175, violators face fines of up to $100 per day per violation. Green also signed HB 1573, which requires manufacturers of electronic smoking devices and e-liquids sold in Hawaii to provide documentation demonstrating FDA authorization, with penalties for noncompliance.

    State lawmakers said the measures are intended to curb youth nicotine use and strengthen oversight of vaping products. Rep. Scot Matayoshi also indicated that lawmakers may consider future regulation of nicotine pouches, citing concerns over youth access to emerging nicotine products.

  • Suriname Lawmaker Says Illicits Make Up 75% of Cigarette Market

    Suriname Lawmaker Says Illicits Make Up 75% of Cigarette Market

    Suriname lawmaker Wedprekash Joeloemsingh warned that illicit cigarettes now account for an estimated 75% of the country’s tobacco market, arguing that further tobacco tax increases could accelerate the shift away from legal sales. Joeloemsingh said the government is losing more than SRD 500 million ($13.5 million) in tax revenue due to illegal trade, alleging that cigarettes enter the market through both smuggling and diversion of goods imported as transit shipments. He called on the government to investigate the illicit market and strengthen enforcement rather than relying on additional tax increases.

  • Argentina Updates Tobacco, Nicotine Health Warnings

    Argentina Updates Tobacco, Nicotine Health Warnings

    Argentina’s Ministry of Health approved new graphic health warning requirements for cigarettes, combustible tobacco products, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, nicotine sticks, and nicotine pouches under Resolution 796/2026. The updated rules replace previous warning regulations and introduce a single mandatory warning for non-combustible nicotine products stating, “This product contains nicotine that is highly addictive.” The measure also updates packaging, advertising, point-of-sale signage, and smoke-free area requirements, while requiring cessation information and Ministry of Health contact details on product packaging.

    The resolution gives manufacturers and importers 180 days to comply with the new requirements and aligns implementation with Argentina’s existing nicotine product regulations. The ministry emphasized that the measure updates health warnings and labeling requirements but does not constitute a general authorization to market nicotine products.

  • Western Balkans Commit to Stronger Tobacco Policies

    Western Balkans Commit to Stronger Tobacco Policies

    Health ministers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia adopted a WHO/Europe-backed declaration committing to strengthening tobacco control across the Western Balkans. The agreement calls for comprehensive smoke-free laws covering indoor public places, workplaces, and public transportation, along with stronger enforcement, public education, improved monitoring, and measures to shield tobacco control policies from industry influence. The declaration aims to reduce the region’s high tobacco use rates, where adult smoking prevalence ranged from 21% to 40% in 2024.

  • Vietnam Considering ID Verification to Buy Cigarettes

    Vietnam Considering ID Verification to Buy Cigarettes

    Vietnam’s Ministry of Health proposed requiring tobacco retailers to verify customers’ ages through chip-based national ID cards or the VNeID digital identity app when buyers appear under 18. The proposed amendments to the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms would also ban tobacco product displays and images in retail outlets, replacing current limits that allow limited pack displays. The ministry said the measures aim to reduce youth access to tobacco, strengthen enforcement, and support retailers’ compliance with age restrictions. The draft legislation is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for review in October.

  • Türkiye Expands Anti-Smoking Drive with Free Medication

    Türkiye Expands Anti-Smoking Drive with Free Medication

    Türkiye’s Health Ministry announced it will provide free smoking-cessation medication to 1 million people, regardless of health insurance status, as part of an expanded effort to reduce smoking rates. The medication will be distributed through tobacco dependence treatment and counseling centers nationwide. The initiative comes as the government prepares legislation to further restrict smoking in outdoor public spaces, including beaches and playgrounds, as part of a broader campaign to reduce tobacco use and its visibility.

  • UKVIA Forum Targets Vaping Policy Challenges

    UKVIA Forum Targets Vaping Policy Challenges

    The UK Vaping Industry Association will unveil new research on the expected impact of the UK’s Vaping Products Duty at its July 13 forum, including findings on consumer behavior, smoking cessation, illicit trade, and stop-smoking services. The association will also release results from a survey of more than 3,500 consumers highlighting the importance of flavors, along with Freedom of Information data on flavor use in local stop-smoking services. UKVIA said the findings are intended to inform debate on upcoming vaping regulations, retailer licensing, and enforcement against illicit sales as the UK prepares to implement the Vaping Products Duty in October.

  • ASEAN Countries Feeling Illicit Cigarette Pressures

    ASEAN Countries Feeling Illicit Cigarette Pressures

    A new report by the EU-ASEAN Business Council estimates that illicit tobacco products accounted for 23.6% of tobacco consumption across six major ASEAN markets in 2025, with the share projected to rise to 27.8% by 2028. The report estimates illicit cigarettes reached 85 billion sticks in 2025, resulting in $6.3 billion in lost government revenue across the region. In Thailand, illicit cigarettes represented 23.6% of the market in 2025, up from 22.6% a year earlier, contributing to an estimated $1.4 billion (45 billion baht) in lost tax revenue over 2024-2025. Most illicit products are believed to be imported from neighboring countries or are counterfeit products entering through land borders.

    The report identifies price disparities between legal and illicit products, cross-border smuggling, and growing online sales through e-commerce and social media as key factors contributing to the illicit market. It also notes that while Thailand uses QR code-enabled tax stamps, track-and-trace systems remain uneven across the region, creating enforcement gaps. The report recommends strengthening border controls, expanding track-and-trace systems, improving international cooperation, and enhancing enforcement to curb illicit trade while supporting public health and protecting government revenues.