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Category: Global Regulation

  • Philippine Health Groups Want Full Tobacco, Vape Ban

    Philippine Health Groups Want Full Tobacco, Vape Ban

    Public health groups in the Philippines are urging the government to impose a total ban on e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTPs), and other nicotine delivery systems, citing their health risks and rising youth uptake. The renewed push follows Myanmar becoming the eighth ASEAN country to enforce a vape ban, while Philippine lawmakers continue to debate tax rates for tobacco and vape products. Data show that around 14% of Filipino youth and 2% of adults use e-cigarettes.

    HealthJustice board member Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan said a comprehensive ban would offer the strongest public health protection, ensure regulatory clarity, and complement calls for higher, uniform tobacco taxes. Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo of SEATCA noted that a total ban would also help address tax administration challenges, curb illicit trade, and align with the Philippines’ obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

  • NSW Tops 100 Store Closures as New Tobacco Taxes Begin  

    NSW Tops 100 Store Closures as New Tobacco Taxes Begin  

    Authorities in Australia’s New South Wales have closed 105 tobacconist shops operating illegally since strengthened tobacco and vaping laws took effect in November 2025. In the past 10 days alone, 30 stores across multiple Local Health Districts were ordered to close for 90 days, with inspectors seizing about 700,000 illicit cigarettes and 3,900 illegal vapes. This comes as a federal tobacco excise increase takes effect today (March 3), raising concerns about a widening price gap between legal and illicit products.

    Under the new laws, NSW Health, supported by NSW Police, can impose 90-day closures on premises selling illicit tobacco, illegal vaping goods, or operating without a license, while courts may issue long-term closures of up to one year. The legislation also introduces penalties of more than A$1.5 million ($1.1 million) and up to seven years’ imprisonment for possession or sale of commercial quantities of illicit tobacco, along with new offences and lease termination powers for landlords. Health Minister Ryan Park said enforcement would intensify with 30 additional inspectors added statewide, bringing the dedicated tobacco compliance team to 78 staff.

  • Bangladesh Questions Constitutionality of Vape Ban

    Bangladesh Questions Constitutionality of Vape Ban

    The High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh directed the government not to confiscate or seize vapes lawfully imported by 41 businessmen and issued a rule questioning the constitutionality of Section 6(Ga) of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005. The bench of Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar asked authorities to explain why the provision, which restricts the manufacture, import, export, storage, sale, and promotion of electronic nicotine delivery systems, should not be declared unconstitutional and void.

    The order followed a writ petition filed by 41 traders, including Masud Uz Zaman, managing director of Vapor Cloud Ltd. Petitioners argued that Section 6(Ga) is discriminatory, banning vapes — described as a harm-reduction alternative — while permitting traditional cigarettes, allegedly violating the equality clause under Article 27 of the Constitution. The state was represented by the Deputy Attorney General during the hearing.

  • Vape Industry Unconvinced by S. Africa’s Tobacco Bill Changes

    Vape Industry Unconvinced by S. Africa’s Tobacco Bill Changes

    The Vapor Products Association of South Africa reiterated concerns over the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery System Control Bill, arguing that it fails to recognize vaping products as a harm-reduction tool and does not differentiate adequately between cigarette and vape users. While the Department of Health of South Africa has indicated willingness to ease packaging rules, including graphic health warnings, for non-combustible products, VPASA warns that similar punishments could still apply to both combustible and non-combustible users, potentially discouraging smokers from switching to less harmful alternatives.

    The bill, first introduced in 2022, regulates the use, marketing, advertising, and trade of tobacco and electronic delivery systems, including e-cigarettes and vaping pods. Public hearings between 2023 and 2025 saw participation from 7,900 individuals with 1,113 oral submissions, showing mixed opinions: 44.9% in support, 44.5% opposed, 1.3% partially supportive, and 9.3% undeclared. The portfolio committee is yet to vote on the bill’s desirability, while discussions continue over how to implement clear differentiation between combustible and non-combustible products to ensure vaping is recognized as a distinct, lower-risk category.

  • Uzbekistan Imposes Vape Ban

    Uzbekistan Imposes Vape Ban

    Beginning March 1, Uzbekistan implemented a complete ban on vapes and electronic cigarettes, covering production, possession, sale, import, and export, with violations carrying criminal penalties including fines, corrective labor, restriction of liberty, or up to five years’ imprisonment, following a law signed last November by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The Ministry of Justice stated that individuals who voluntarily surrender prohibited devices or report violations may avoid liability, while tourists are warned not to bring vapes or e-liquids into cities such as Tashkent and Samarkand. The move follows a similar policy in Kazakhstan, where a full ban on circulation has been in effect since June 2024, with criminal penalties applying to sales, distribution, and import but not personal use.

  • Vietnam Proposes Banning Tobacco Displays and Alternative Products

    Vietnam Proposes Banning Tobacco Displays and Alternative Products

    The Ministry of Health of Vietnam has proposed banning the display of tobacco products at wholesale and retail outlets and requiring cigarettes to be kept in closed cabinets, under draft amendments to the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms. The proposal was presented at a policy workshop in Hanoi, where Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan said that despite progress over 13 years, Vietnam still has about 15.8 million smokers.

    The draft amendments also call for a comprehensive ban on the production, trade, advertising, and use of e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and other new tobacco products. Officials said allowing cigarette displays effectively permits point-of-sale advertising and increases access for children, noting that major cities average 13 tobacco outlets near each school. The ministry said the reforms align with the World Health Organization’s WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

  • Concerns Loom Over S. Africa Tobacco Control Bill

    Concerns Loom Over S. Africa Tobacco Control Bill

    South Africa’s tobacco policy debate sharpened this week after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana used his Budget speech to warn that illicit trade is inflicting serious damage on the economy, while hours later the Department of Health faced pointed pushback in Parliament over whether its Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill adequately addresses that crisis. Appearing before the Portfolio Committee on Health, officials defended the Bill’s public health rationale, arguing it does not ban cigarettes and that smoking imposes greater economic costs than it generates. However, MPs from multiple parties pressed the Department on estimates that as much as 70% of the cigarette market may be illicit, questioning whether the proposed measures meaningfully target the dominant illegal segment.

    Lawmakers repeatedly raised concerns about enforcement capacity, proportionality, and the risk that additional regulatory burdens — such as plain packaging and stricter penalties — could further advantage criminal syndicates if illicit trade remains unchecked. The Department leaned on international precedent and South Africa’s obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, while some MPs called for greater differentiation between combustible and non-combustible products and more realistic alignment with local enforcement realities.

  • Malaysian Vape Ban Would Leave 1.4M Users in Limbo

    Malaysian Vape Ban Would Leave 1.4M Users in Limbo

    Malaysia is moving toward a nationwide vape ban that could leave an estimated 1.4 million adult users in limbo, as policymakers weigh stricter enforcement under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 and a possible phase-out of open and closed pod systems by 2026. While the government cites concerns over youth uptake and illicit drug-laced liquids, consumer groups and some public health experts warn that prohibition may drive sales underground or push former smokers back to combustible cigarettes, which remain far more prevalent among Malaysia’s 4.8 million smokers.

  • Canada’s Vape Shops Struggle with Compliance: Report

    Canada’s Vape Shops Struggle with Compliance: Report

    Nearly half of Canada’s specialty vape retailers were found non-compliant during federal inspections between April 2024 and March 2025, according to a new enforcement report from Health Canada. Inspectors found 43% of 546 specialty stores breached the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act and the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, resulting in product seizures at 235 locations — up from 38% non-compliance the previous year.

    Violations most commonly involved prohibited flavor promotion, improper health warnings, and nicotine concentrations exceeding 20 mg/mL. In contrast, fewer than 1% of 2,136 gas and convenience stores inspected were non-compliant. Manufacturer oversight also revealed compliance gaps, with 45% of 343 samples collected from 119 producers failing key regulatory requirements, prompting the seizure of 286,764 non-compliant products.

  • Indonesian Retailers Ban Vape Sales to Under-21s

    Indonesian Retailers Ban Vape Sales to Under-21s

    The Indonesian Vape Retailers Association (Arvindo) instructed all member stores to stop selling e-cigarettes to customers under 21, requiring retailers to display 21+ signage, and verify age with valid identification. Chairman Fachmi Kurnia said the move supports government efforts to curb youth access, a position echoed by the Tar and Smoke Free Movement, which maintains that alternative tobacco products should be reserved for adult smokers. Arvindo also urged policymakers to adopt science-based regulation and consider vaping’s harm-reduction potential, citing a 2025 JAMA Network study showing e-cigarettes were the most commonly used quit aid in England. The call comes as Indonesia faces persistently high smoking rates, with government data estimating 70 million active smokers, including significant youth prevalence.