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Category: Global Regulation

  • EU Abstains from COP11 Vote Amid Internal Disagreements

    EU Abstains from COP11 Vote Amid Internal Disagreements

    “The European Union will not participate in a vote on a revised treaty at the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP11) in Geneva,” Brussels Signal reported today (November 17), highlighting deep divisions among member states over tobacco policy. Internal EU disagreements pit “progressive” countries that support stricter measures like flavor bans and plain packaging against more cautious states that advocate for harm-reduction tools and consumer choice. Attempts to reach a consensus under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU reportedly failed, despite a proposed compromise, the article said.

    The abstention has sparked mixed reactions. Public health advocacy groups expressed concern that a weakened EU position could embolden tobacco industry tactics, while harm-reduction proponents, including the World Vapers Alliance, welcomed the outcome as preserving space for evidence-based policies. Analysts warn that overly broad restrictions could drive consumers back to combustible cigarettes or underground markets, undermining public health gains.

  • Mexico Debates Vaping Ban Amid Constitutional Reform

    Mexico Debates Vaping Ban Amid Constitutional Reform

    Mexico is moving toward a decisive stance on e-cigarettes and vaping as lawmakers prepare to define whether the industry will be regulated or banned. A recent constitutional reform, supported by most major parties, criminalizes the production, distribution, and sale of electronic cigarettes, vape devices, and unauthorized toxic substances. Movimiento Ciudadano remains the only party opposing the measure.

    The reform modifies Articles 4 and 5 of the Constitution and frames vaping alongside fentanyl misuse, prompting critics to argue that it reflects a global prohibitionist approach rather than a domestic evidence-based policy. Secondary legislation under the General Health Law will now determine the practical scope of the ban or regulation.

    Public health experts and advocacy groups, including the World Vapers’ Alliance, argue that intelligent regulation could reduce illicit trade, protect adult consumers, and generate significant tax revenue—estimated at up to MX$6.94 billion ($374.8 million) annually.

    The debate also highlights the potential for vaping technology in medical applications, such as inhaled drug delivery for conditions like asthma, migraines, and pain management, though regulatory and consumer acceptance challenges remain.

  • Czech Republic to Enforce Stricter E-Cigarette Rules

    Czech Republic to Enforce Stricter E-Cigarette Rules

    Beginning in December, the Czech Republic will implement tighter regulations on e-cigarettes, banning products containing sugar flavors or cannabinoids, with manufacturers having seven months to sell off existing stock.

    New rules also require clear labelling of nicotine content in milligrams per milliliter or micrograms per portion. Nicotine-containing products must carry warnings and a symbol indicating they are not suitable for under-18s, along with a Ministry of Health registration ID. Liquids may no longer contain mineral or vegetable oils, or fats, in addition to cannabinoids or sugar flavors.

    The regulations follow a study showing that almost 14% of the Czech population used e-cigarettes last year, with over a quarter of 15- to 24-year-olds reporting use.

  • Spain Implements New Tobacco Price Increases

    Spain Implements New Tobacco Price Increases

    Spain’s Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE) confirmed new price increases for certain cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and pipe tobacco, effective November 15. The changes, applicable across mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, are mandatory for all authorized retailers.

    A pack of Mark 1 Red 100’s cigarettes now costs €4.60. Adrian Magnus cigars are priced between €5.95 and €8.10 per unit, while Montego cigars range from €4.50 to €5.75. Pipe tobacco, including Hampton Pipe Gold, is now €1.70 per 20g pack, with premium blends such as Samuel Gawith and Sebero between €5.25 and €26.50.

    These changes follow other price updates announced previously for well-known brands like B.N., Ducados, and Farias. The updates reflect production, distribution, and tax cost adjustments, and form part of Spain’s ongoing health policy to discourage smoking through pricing.

  • Shutdown End Puts Hemp on the Clock

    Shutdown End Puts Hemp on the Clock

    This week, President Donald Trump signed a funding bill to end the government shutdown, but, according to Forbes and other industry experts, tucked inside the legislation is an amendment that has the potential to dismantle the country’s $28 billion hemp industry. The provision rewrites the federal definition of hemp, and, after a 12-month grace period, would effectively outlaw most hemp-derived THC products, including the booming market for THC beverages and edibles.

    Since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp and its derivatives, hemp-derived intoxicating products have proliferated nationwide, sold online and in mainstream retailers without the restrictions placed on marijuana. The new amendment closes that loophole by banning synthetic cannabinoid conversion (such as CBD-to-THC processing) and capping THC content at 0.4 mg per package—far below the levels in virtually all current hemp products, many of which contain at least 5 mg and some up to 1,000 mg per package.

    “This is an extinction-level event for the CBD products industry, and the greater hemp and hemp beverage industry,” said Jim Higdon, cofounder of Louisville-based Cornbread Hemp. “If we can’t stop it, and we don’t pivot, it will destroy our business. Every product that we make currently will become a Schedule I narcotic when it is implemented.”

    Industry leaders, including beverage manufacturers and multistate cannabis operators, warn that the measure would wipe out companies built around hemp-derived THC and plan to lobby aggressively for revised regulations during the one-year window. The amendment has ignited political tension as well, with Senator Mitch McConnell—architect of the 2018 hemp legalization push—now leading efforts to curb intoxicating hemp products amid rising concerns about youth exposure.

    “Mitch McConnell, the man who gave us the seeds to grow hemp, now wants to burn the crop and salt the ground,” said Thomas Winstanley, the executive vice president of Georgia-based Edibles.com. “[We see] it as not one year to ban, it’s one year to regulate. We do not see this as the end. The clock started, but there’s still runway for better policy here. It was a tough battle to lose, but it’s not the end of the war.”

  • Cigarette Butts Back in Focus Ahead of COP11

    Cigarette Butts Back in Focus Ahead of COP11

    The 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) begins next week in Geneva with the purpose of eradicating tobacco and nicotine products across the globe. The gathering will cover broad topics, including tobacco marketing, youth e-cigarette use, and public health strategies, but the topic of cigarette butts appears to be gaining traction.

    WHO officials will address the environmental impact of cigarette waste—saying 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered globally each year, creating toxic microplastics—and are expected to call for an outright ban on plastic filters in their proposals, arguing they offer negligible benefits to smokers.

    “The best thing that we could see for the environment is getting rid of filters altogether,” Andrew Black, acting head of the secretariat of the FCTC, said this week. “These discarded butts are toxic and a significant source of plastic pollution, due to their filters, which do not biodegrade.”

    Industry representatives, such as Greenbutts CEO Tadas Lisauskas, are closely monitoring discussions, emphasizing the need for practical, balanced solutions that consider both environmental concerns and the livelihoods of tobacco farmers and manufacturers.

    “Unfiltered cigarettes would reintroduce hazards society moved away from generations ago,” Lisauskas said. “A policy intended to protect public health should not expose consumers to additional, immediate physical harm.

    “Pretending that filters must be banned to solve littering is a false choice. The environmental problem can be solved without removing a proven exposure-reduction feature.”

  • FDA to Allocate $200M Toward Combating Illicit Vapes

    FDA to Allocate $200M Toward Combating Illicit Vapes

    As part of the continuing resolution passed by Congress and signed yesterday (November 12) by US President Donald Trump to reopen the government, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be required to allocate at least $200 million of its $712 million in user fees toward enforcing regulations on electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). Of this amount, $2 million will support a multi-agency task force, including the Justice Department and Homeland Security, aimed at cracking down on illegal ENDS products imported from China and other countries.

    The FDA is also required to update its 2020 ENDS enforcement guidance within one year to include flavored disposable vapes and clarify the definition of disposable ENDS products. In addition, the law updates the Imports and Exports section of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to include tobacco products, strengthening the FDA’s authority to regulate their import alongside food, drugs, devices, and cosmetics.

    The agency must provide semi-annual reports to Congress on efforts to remove illegal ENDS products from the market, with the first report due within 180 days of enactment (November 12). The FDA is also expected to submit a report detailing its work to educate retailers on which products are legally allowed for sale.

  • Vietnam Moves to Ban E-Cigarettes and Heated Tobacco

    Vietnam Moves to Ban E-Cigarettes and Heated Tobacco

    Vietnam’s Ministry of Health proposed adding e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products to the list of prohibited business activities in the draft amended Law on Investment, aligning with National Assembly Resolution No. 173/2024/QH15, which bans production, trade, import, storage, transport, and use of these products from 2025.

    National Assembly Deputy Lê Hoàng Anh said that leaving e-cigarettes unregulated would expose youth to highly addictive nicotine products and provide a cover for criminals to smuggle narcotics. He emphasized the health risks, citing evidence that the devices contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals, and noted that teenagers using e-cigarettes are more likely to transition to conventional smoking.

    Anh urged lawmakers to include the prohibition in Article 6 of the Investment Law, framing it as a matter of public health and national responsibility.

  • Bill Introduced to Allow FDA to Destroy Illicit Chinese Tobacco Products

    Bill Introduced to Allow FDA to Destroy Illicit Chinese Tobacco Products

    Last week, Senator John Cornyn and Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne, joined by Senator Martin Heinrich and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, introduced the “Ensuring the Necessary Destruction of Illicit Chinese Tobacco Act,” also referred to as the “END Illicit Chinese Tobacco Act” (END). The legislation would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to seize and destroy adulterated, misbranded, or counterfeit tobacco products, including vapes and e-cigarettes, imported from China, specifically giving the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) authority to do so.

    “By giving the FDA destruction authority over these imports, this legislation would turn off the spigot of illicit e-cigarettes and vapes flowing from China and address the public health crisis sweeping across our nation,” Sen. Cornyn said.

    Lawmakers cited the public health risks posed by counterfeit products, which dominate illicit youth-used e-vapor brands. The END Act would extend the FDA’s existing destruction powers, currently applied to certain drugs and medical devices, to tobacco products.

    “We have seen too many illegal vapes slipping through the enforcement cracks, posing health and safety risks to Americans,” said Rep. Van Duyne. “The END Act will give federal agencies the tools that they need to destroy these counterfeit or misbranded goods before they reach our shelves.”

    The bill is supported by major health organizations—including the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart and Lung Associations—and industry groups like 7-Eleven and Altria.

    The bill has been introduced, but no date for markup or committee hearing has been publicly posted thus far.

  • Irish Tobacco Hike ‘Plucked Out of the Air,’ Court Told

    Irish Tobacco Hike ‘Plucked Out of the Air,’ Court Told

    The Convenience Stores & Newsagents Association (CSNA) has challenged new tobacco licensing fees in Ireland, claiming they are “plucked out of the air” and disproportionately impact smaller retailers. The 2024 regulations, introduced under the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 by former health minister Stephen Donnelly, raise fees from the old €50 one-off registration to €1,800 for combined tobacco and nicotine products, payable on every renewal. Retailers cannot pass the cost to consumers.

    CSNA argued the fees are arbitrary, lack evidential basis, and exceed the minister’s powers, while the government contends the fees are part of a long-standing policy to reduce tobacco availability. In court, CSNA sought to cross-examine Claire Gordon, Department of Health principal officer, over her affidavit explaining the policy, but Justice Rory Mulcahy rejected the request, noting the retailers can challenge her evidence but cannot investigate beyond it.