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Category: Global Regulation

  • Hong Kong Health Org Wants Firm Dates for Tobacco Laws

    Hong Kong Health Org Wants Firm Dates for Tobacco Laws

    Today (January 13), the Hong Kong Council of Smoking and Health (COSH) pressed the government to set a clear timetable for pending tobacco-control measures, warning that several proposals remain stalled ahead of Legislative Council review. COSH chairman Henry Tong said policies such as a ban on non-menthol flavored tobacco, the introduction of plain packaging, and a cigarette stamp duty system are slated for the second quarter of 2027, but lack firm implementation dates. He also urged faster action on banning smoking while walking, arguing that expanding outdoor no-smoking zones—modeled on Shanghai’s fully smoke-free Nanjing Road—could deliver immediate public health benefits.

    Ahead of next month’s fiscal budget, COSH is also calling for a sharp increase in tobacco taxes, recommending a rise to 75% starting in the next fiscal year, followed by automatic annual increases similar to systems used in Australia and the UK. The council further urged officials to define a concrete “smoke-free generation” timeline. Its recommendations are backed by a University of Hong Kong survey of 5,600 respondents conducted between late 2024 and mid-2025, which found nearly half had been exposed to secondhand smoke in the previous week, most commonly in outdoor public spaces such as pavements, crossings, parks, and bars.

  • Taipei to Announce Plans for Smoke-Free City in 2026

    Taipei to Announce Plans for Smoke-Free City in 2026

    Taipei City is moving toward tighter controls on public smoking, with Mayor Chiang Wan-an saying the city is considering various options and expects to roll out a “smoke-free Taipei” plan by the end of 2026. Chiang said officials are studying overseas models, including Tokyo’s use of designated smoking areas and booths, which he described as effective in reducing secondhand smoke and litter, signaling a likely approach that would ban smoking in principle while allowing limited, clearly defined exceptions in public spaces.

  • Türkiye Looking to Increase Smoking Controls

    Türkiye Looking to Increase Smoking Controls

    Türkiye plans to further tighten its already strict tobacco control regime, with Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu saying legislative work to expand smoking bans in enclosed spaces is nearing completion and expected to reach parliament soon. Memişoğlu said the measures aim to strengthen the fight against tobacco addiction by reinforcing smoke-free environments while scaling up smoking cessation clinics and mobile outreach teams nationwide. The move builds on Türkiye’s long-standing controls, including comprehensive indoor smoking bans, plain packaging, advertising prohibitions, and e-cigarette restrictions, as smoking rates remain above a quarter of the population despite years of enforcement.

  • Pakistan Bill Would Treat Vape Like Cigarettes

    Pakistan Bill Would Treat Vape Like Cigarettes

    Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services approved the Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Regulation) Bill, clearing the way for its introduction in the Senate as authorities move to curb rising youth vaping, particularly in Islamabad. The bill would impose strict controls on the import, sale, marketing, and use of e-cigarettes, including a ban on sales within 50 meters of schools and colleges, a minimum purchase age of 18, and a prohibition on vape use in public transport, government buildings, parks, and other shared spaces.

    The proposed legislation would regulate vapes similarly to traditional tobacco products, banning all advertising—especially marketing aimed at minors—and requiring product standards such as nicotine caps of 40 mg/ml, child-resistant packaging, health warnings, and mandatory age verification for e-commerce sales. Penalties include fines of up to Rs 50,000 ($175) for first offenses, with escalating sanctions for repeat violations and smuggling. The bill is undergoing inter-ministerial review before formal Senate consideration, signaling tighter oversight for the nicotine and vaping market in Pakistan.

  • FDA Pushed on ‘De Facto’ Vape Ban by 5th Circ.

    FDA Pushed on ‘De Facto’ Vape Ban by 5th Circ.

    A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit signaled skepticism yesterday (January 6) toward the Food and Drug Administration’s claim that it has not effectively banned flavored refillable e-cigarette products, suggesting the agency’s near-total rejection of applications amounts to a de facto prohibition. During oral arguments, Judge Cory T. Wilson noted that the FDA has approved only six applications out of hundreds of thousands of premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs), remarking that “if you’re effectively at 100% denial on a certain class of products, then it is a de facto ban.”

    The case was brought by VDX Distro Inc., which is challenging the FDA’s refusal to authorize its menthol-flavored refillable vaping products. Government attorney Ben Lewis argued that no ban exists because some products have been approved, but judges pressed the agency on whether it has ever approved a flavored e-cigarette without evidence showing it provides greater smoking cessation benefits than tobacco-flavored products. Counsel for VDX argued the FDA violated the Tobacco Control Act by imposing new, unwritten standards without notice-and-comment rulemaking, effectively blocking all open-system refillable devices.

    Industry amici echoed those concerns, with an attorney for R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. arguing the FDA applies stricter standards to flavored vaping products than to other nicotine products, such as pouches. The panel did not rule from the bench, but the pointed questioning underscores growing judicial scrutiny of FDA tobacco regulation, with potential implications for future authorization pathways for flavored vaping products closely watched by the tobacco and nicotine industries.

  • Guam Tobacco Retail Compliance Tops 97%

    Guam Tobacco Retail Compliance Tops 97%

    Compliance inspections found that 97.1% of Guam tobacco retailers complied with laws prohibiting sales to minors in 2025, according to data released January 5 by the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center (GBHWC) and the Department of Revenue and Taxation (DRT). The compliance rate increased from 94.8% in 2024, well above the federally required minimum of 80% under the Synar Amendment.

    Out of 277 eligible retailers inspected, only eight were cited for selling tobacco or disposable ENDS products to minors ages 16–20, and one retailer failed to post a required “No Sale Under 21” sign. The nine establishments received citations ranging from $2,000 to $4,000.

    Officials credited strong enforcement and education efforts, including GBHWC’s Merchant Education Outreach Program, launched in 2025, which provides door-to-door education and compliance resources.

  • Malaysian Health Minister Says Vape Ban to Begin with Open Systems

    Malaysian Health Minister Says Vape Ban to Begin with Open Systems

    Malaysia’s Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad touted the nation’s highly discussed vape ban as being “almost here,” and said the ban will be done in stages, initially focusing on open systems. “We face challenges, but we still hope to implement the ban,” he said. “Many compounding factors are at play. But our team of experts is here to work on it.”

    Reports indicate that the ban is expected to be implemented in mid-2026. 

  • Arizona Vape Shops Fined $460K for Selling to Minors

    Arizona Vape Shops Fined $460K for Selling to Minors

    Arizona’s Attorney General Kris Mayes ordered that a vape shop owner with several locations pay $460,000 in restitution for illegally selling tobacco and nicotine products to underage customers. Mayes’ office cited multiple violations at various locations, and alleged the stores continued illegal sales even after citations, fines, and warnings. The lawsuit said Pro Source Supply LLC, Pro Source Vapes LLC, and Pro Source CBD LLC, all owned by Timothy Kell, refused to check IDs and knowingly sold tobacco and nicotine products to underage buyers.

    As part of the settlement, Pro Source must implement strict age-verification policies, enhanced employee training, electronic ID scanning, and regular compliance checks. The company is also prohibited from selling single cigarettes, flavored cigarillos at certain locations, and products resembling candy, toys, or school supplies. A compliance officer will be hired, and third-party audits will be reported to the attorney general’s office.

  • Court Creates Split on Cannabis Landscape

    Court Creates Split on Cannabis Landscape

    A U.S. appeals court ruling last Friday (January 2) added fresh legal uncertainty to the regulated cannabis landscape, with potential implications for adjacent nicotine and tobacco industries. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the dormant commerce clause does not apply to state-legal cannabis markets because marijuana remains illegal under federal law. The decision allows states within the Ninth Circuit to maintain residency-based licensing and other local protectionist measures, and directly conflicts with earlier rulings from the First Circuit (2022) and Second Circuit (2025), which extended constitutional commerce protections to legal cannabis despite federal prohibition—creating a clear circuit split.

    The case challenged residency requirements for retail marijuana licenses in Washington State and Sacramento, California, brought by an out-of-state applicant who argued the rules unfairly favored locals. Writing for the court, Judge Daniel A. Bress said federal courts are not required to “inaugurate free trade” in a market Congress has deemed illegal under the Controlled Substances Act. While the ruling strengthens state and local control—often tied to social equity frameworks—it increases regulatory fragmentation across the U.S., underscoring the uneven legal footing of cannabis compared with federally lawful tobacco and nicotine products and raising the likelihood of eventual U.S. Supreme Court review.

  • Florida AG Moves to Block Marijuana Legalization from Ballot

    Florida AG Moves to Block Marijuana Legalization from Ballot

    Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier urged the state Supreme Court to block a new recreational marijuana legalization initiative from reaching the ballot, calling it “fatally flawed,” misleading to voters, and unconstitutional. In a 75-page brief, Uthmeier argued the proposal—backed by Smart & Safe Florida and largely funded by medical cannabis operator Trulieve—violates Florida’s single-subject rule, misrepresents restrictions on public use, and conflicts with federal law under the Controlled Substances Act.

    Uthmeier’s position is supported by a coalition of business and anti-drug groups, which contend the initiative would improperly legalize and commercialize cannabis while obligating the state to license federally illegal activity. Opponents say the ballot summary falsely implies a broad ban on public consumption, lacks enforcement mechanisms, and bundles unrelated policy changes—such as advertising limits and business licensing—into a single constitutional amendment.

    The legal challenge comes as Smart & Safe Florida races to meet a February 1 deadline to submit nearly 880,000 valid signatures, amid disputes over tens of thousands of signatures invalidated by state officials. The measure follows a similar 2024 proposal that won a majority but failed to clear Florida’s 60% approval threshold. While polling continues to show strong public support for legalization, the Supreme Court’s ruling will determine whether voters get another chance to decide the issue in 2026.