New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget proposes applying the state’s existing 75% wholesale tobacco tax to nicotine pouches. The proposal comes as state tobacco tax revenue declined from about $1 billion in 2021 to roughly $793 million last year, while cigarette smuggling — estimated to account for more than half of cigarettes consumed in New York — costs the state about $812 million annually, according to Tax Foundation data. State health data show nicotine pouch use among New York high school students increased from 1.5% in 2022 to 3% in 2025. The tax proposal is under consideration as part of budget negotiations.
Category: Global Regulation
-
Malaysian Health Groups Challenge Legality of Moot Nicotine Exemption
Counsel for several Malaysian public health organizations told the High Court that former health minister Dr. Zaliha Mustafa acted unlawfully in 2023 when she removed liquid nicotine from the Poisons Act list, arguing the move was made without meaningful consultation with the Poisons Board. A lawyer for the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control, the Malaysian Green Lung Association, and Voice of the Children, said the exemption left vape products effectively unregulated and accessible to minors for nearly 17 months, until the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 took effect in October 2024.
Government counsel argued the case is now academic because the 2024 law regulates vaping and smoking products, and said the minister acted within powers granted under Section 6 of the Poisons Act after consultation with the board. Opposing attorneys countered that the issue remains live because the court must determine whether the minister erred at the time, adding that consultation must be substantive rather than procedural. The applicants are seeking declarations that the 2023 exemption order was irrational, unlawful, and beyond ministerial authority. The court set May 15 for its decision.
-
Vietnam Tightens School Accountability in Vape Crackdown
Vietnam introduced fines of up to VND10 million ($380) for school principals if students are caught using e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products on campus, under Decree 371 issued by the Ministry of Health. The measure, the first to assign direct legal responsibility to school leaders, comes as youth vaping among ages 13–17 rose sharply from 2.6% in 2019 to 8.1% in 2023. Students face fines of VND3–5 million ($114 to $190), with all products confiscated and destroyed, while large-scale illegal production or trade may trigger criminal penalties of up to VND1 billion ($38,000) or five years in prison.
The enforcement framework supports Vietnam’s nationwide ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products starting in 2025, with early data showing declines in vaping-related cases and hospitalizations, signaling increased regulatory pressure on alternative nicotine products.
-
South Africa’s Tobacco and Vaping Bill Still Likely a Year Away
South Africa’s Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill is unlikely to become law for at least another year, with further delays expected for implementing regulations, according to Professor Lekan Ayo-Yusuf of the University of Pretoria. The bill, first drafted in 2018 and reintroduced in 2022, has faced prolonged parliamentary delays that he attributes to disinformation, political distraction, and a lack of urgency.
Ayo-Yusuf warned that the slow pace benefits the tobacco and vaping industry by leaving a regulatory vacuum as vaping and other nicotine alternatives gain popularity among young people. While acknowledging the need to address illicit cigarette trade, Ayo-Yusuf stressed that tobacco regulation is fundamentally a public health issue, not a trade-off between health and the economy. The bill has recently gained vocal support from the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, which described it as pro-poor and pro-development, arguing that strong tobacco control reduces healthcare burdens and protects public welfare, while illicit trade should be tackled through enforcement rather than weakened health laws.
-
Bangladesh’s Next Govt. Urged to Uphold Tough Tobacco Laws
Bangladesh’s interim government has called on the next parliament to endorse the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, after senior advisers accused tobacco companies of mounting heavy pressure to block stricter regulations. Speaking at a Dhaka meeting Monday (January 26), Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum and Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter said the ordinance—approved by the advisory council in December—expands the definition of tobacco products and tightens controls on emerging items, despite industry lobbying and revenue concerns. The advisers alleged coordinated efforts by tobacco firms to delay or dilute the measures, criticized government shareholdings in tobacco companies, and opposed plans by Philip Morris Bangladesh to set up a nicotine pouch factory without environmental clearance. Officials cited stark public health costs, noting Bangladesh records an estimated 564 tobacco-related deaths daily and annual economic losses of Tk 87,000 crore ($713 million) versus Tk 40,000 crore ($348 million) in tobacco revenue.
-
Vietnam Weighs Harm-Reduction Options
Despite sustained declines in smoking prevalence, Vietnam continues to face a wide gap between intent and outcomes, as surveys show more than 90% of smokers want to quit, yet only about 9.5% have been able to do so successfully. With around 15 million adult smokers, health experts say reliance on cessation alone has delivered limited results. With male smoking rates falling from 45.3% in 2015 to 38.9% in 2023, the slow pace of quitting has intensified pressure to rethink policy tools.
To close this gap, policymakers and experts are debating whether to broaden the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms to include “risk factor reduction” alongside traditional measures. The Ministry of Health is drafting amendments for 2026 that emphasize bans on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, expanded point-of-sale restrictions, and tougher enforcement.
-
Denver Vape Shops File Suit Against Flavor Ban
A group of Denver vape shop owners filed a lawsuit on January 23 challenging the city’s flavored tobacco ban, which took effect on January 1 after being approved by voters in November, arguing the ordinance is unconstitutional, inconsistently enforced, and harmful to small businesses. Filed by the Rocky Mountain Smoke Free Alliance, the complaint asks a Denver court to halt enforcement and declare the sale of separate flavor additives legal, claiming the ban violates equal protection, due process, and commercial speech rights by prohibiting flavored vaping products while exempting hookah tobacco and allowing continued cigarette sales.
The plaintiffs say vague definitions tied to marketing and packaging create uncertainty for retailers and have already led to store closures, job losses, and an estimated $13 million decline in tax revenue, while city officials counter that the ban is aimed at reducing youth tobacco use and say enforcement will include education as well as public-facing and undercover compliance checks. Public health advocates maintain the law is legally sound and necessary, noting courts have repeatedly upheld similar flavored tobacco restrictions.
-
Indonesia Looking to Tighten Tobacco Control
Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin outlined plans to strengthen national tobacco control through legislative reform, citing proposed revisions to expand graphic health warnings, tighten advertising restrictions, ban the sale of loose cigarettes, and regulate e-cigarettes. Speaking virtually at the 8th Asia-Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT) Summit in Jakarta today (January 26), Sadikin said the measures are aimed at reducing both tobacco supply and demand through coordinated partnerships.
Sadikin said that tobacco is Indonesia’s third-largest risk factor for death, with around 70 million adult smokers and 9.1% of children having tried smoking. The government also plans to expand smoke-free areas and increase access to smoking cessation services at community health centers, while health officials emphasized cross-sector and community-based efforts to address tobacco use and related non-communicable diseases.
-
Azerbaijan Bans All Vape; HTPs Excluded
Azerbaijan officially enacted a comprehensive ban on electronic cigarettes following amendments to the country’s tobacco legislation approved by President Ilham Aliyev, to take effect on April 1. Under the revised law, the import, export, production, storage, wholesale and retail distribution, sale, and use of electronic cigarettes and their components—including devices, cartridges, refills, and e-liquids—are prohibited nationwide.
The amendments classify nicotine-containing e-cigarettes as tobacco products and define electronic cigarettes broadly as any device that delivers vapor, with or without nicotine, through inhalation, regardless of format. Heated tobacco products are explicitly excluded from this definition and will continue to be regulated separately. The legislative changes are accompanied by amendments to the Tax Code and advertising law, removing disposable e-cigarettes and e-liquids from the list of excisable goods and updating advertising restrictions to align with the new classifications.
-
Osaka Tightening Public Smoking Ban
Osaka, Japan, is weighing additional measures to curb illegal street smoking after a municipal survey revealed diverging views between smokers and nonsmokers following the citywide ban introduced in January 2025. According to the survey, nearly half of nonsmokers surveyed supported raising the current 1,000-yen ($65) fine and strengthening patrols and public awareness, while about 60% of smokers called for more designated smoking areas. In response, the city plans to add 65 new smoking zones on top of the 195 already in place, increase enforcement staff beyond the current 85 officers and assistants, and focus resources on high-incidence areas, especially those in entertainment districts. Osaka reported a 40% year-on-year decline in street smoking, as it continues efforts to balance compliance with public comfort ahead of the Osaka Kansai Expo.