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Category: Global Regulation

  • Expert Urges Nigeria to Embrace THR for Health, Economy

    Expert Urges Nigeria to Embrace THR for Health, Economy

    Nigeria could become a hub for Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) product development and export, supporting economic diversification and public health, says Professor Nnanyelugo Martin Ike‑Muonso of ValueFronteira Ltd., stressing that a balanced regulatory framework would protect minors, ensure product quality, and promote responsible marketing, unlocking both health and economic benefits for the country.

    In Nigeria, the 2015 Tobacco Control Act regulates traditional tobacco but does not cover alternative nicotine products, creating regulatory gaps that allow illicit trade and hinder public health progress. Ike‑Muonso argues that structured THR regulation could boost MSME entrepreneurship, generate tax revenue, and expand Nigeria’s non-oil industrial base, while aligning the country with global best practices.

    Ike‑Muonso points to global evidence that shows THR strategies have driven record declines in smoking rates in countries such as the UK, New Zealand, Japan, and Norway. Adult smoking in the UK dropped to 12.9% in 2022, while Norway’s daily smoking rate fell to 7% in 2023, largely due to regulated alternative nicotine products.

  • Bhutan Implements 115% E-Cigarette Tax

    Bhutan Implements 115% E-Cigarette Tax

    Bhutan’s Ministry of Health (MoH) announced a major fiscal crackdown on e-cigarettes, introducing a combined 115% tax on vaping products, including 100% excise, 10% customs duty, and 5% GST, all effective January 2026. Devices will also face a 20% excise tax alongside customs duty and GST.

    The MoH said the move aims to curb rising youth use of e-cigarettes and align vaping products with traditional tobacco under the country’s regulatory framework. The Tobacco Control Rules and Act are also being updated to explicitly cover e-cigarettes, vapes, and heated tobacco products.

    The government continues to enforce bans on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of all tobacco and nicotine products.

  • Maldives Implements First Generational Tobacco Ban

    Maldives Implements First Generational Tobacco Ban

    The Maldivian government enacted landmark amendments to its Tobacco Control Act, introducing a generational ban on tobacco use. Effective immediately, individuals born on or after January 1, 2007, are prohibited from using tobacco, and vendors are barred from selling tobacco to anyone under 21 or within the generational cutoff. Maldives becomes the world’s first nation to permanently prohibit a generation from smoking.

    The legislation also imposes a nationwide ban on electronic cigarettes and vaping products, including their use, possession, importation, and manufacture. President Mohamed Muizzu said the measures reflect his vision of fostering a “competent, morally upright, and diligent citizenry.”

  • WVA Holds Light Protest Ahead of COP11

    WVA Holds Light Protest Ahead of COP11

    The World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) staged a light show protest by projecting messages on the Geneva International Conference Centre, home to the upcoming COP11 meetings that begin November 17. The WVA said it was drawing attention to what the group calls misinformation and exclusion of consumer voices in global tobacco control debates. The WVA criticized the World Health Organization’s stance on vaping and nicotine alternatives, arguing that restrictive policies could undermine harm reduction efforts, particularly in the Caribbean.

    The protest is part of the WVA’s “Voices Unheard – Consumers Matter” campaign, which urges Caribbean governments to pursue evidence-based approaches rather than blanket bans.

  • EU’s Tobacco Tax Harmonization Would Cost Luxembourg €1 Billion

    EU’s Tobacco Tax Harmonization Would Cost Luxembourg €1 Billion

    While the EU’s proposed Tobacco Tax Directive aims to align minimum rates across member states, experts say the harmonization would present a delicate fiscal balance for Luxembourg, where tobacco tourism funds a significant part of the budget. Cigarette prices in Luxembourg could jump from €5.10 to around €8.30, erasing its advantage over neighboring countries, costing the Grand Duchy close to €1 billion, as 95% of the country’s tobacco tax revenue comes from non-residents. At €50 million, tobacco taxes would drop from 69% to 3.5% of Luxembourg’s national budget.

    Public health officials argue the tax losses would be offset by saved healthcare costs and reduced productivity losses.

  • Pakistan Sees Cigarette Revenue Fall Despite Huge Tax Hike

    Pakistan Sees Cigarette Revenue Fall Despite Huge Tax Hike

    Despite a 200% increase in duty rates, Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) reported a 4.1% drop in Federal Excise Duty (FED) collection from the cigarette sector, falling to Rs225.5 billion ($789.3 million) in FY2024-25 from Rs235 billion ($822.5 million) the previous year. Officials attributed the decline to a growing illicit cigarette market, which continues to undermine tax collection.

    The sector’s share in total FED revenue plunged from 40.7% in FY24 to 29.4% in FY25, highlighting enforcement challenges and the government’s struggle to curb illegal production and sales. Higher taxes have reportedly pushed consumers toward untaxed brands, further reducing formal industry revenue.

    FBR officials warned that without stronger enforcement against illicit cigarette trade, the formal tobacco industry will continue to shrink, depriving the government of vital revenue for development and public health programs.

  • Korea Enforces New Law Regarding Tobacco Ingredients

    Korea Enforces New Law Regarding Tobacco Ingredients

    Starting November 1, South Korea began requiring tobacco companies to test and disclose harmful substances in their products under the new “Act on the Management of Harmfulness of Tobacco.” All manufacturers and importers — including those of cigarettes, heated tobacco, and e-cigarettes — must test products through certified labs every two years and submit results by October 15 annually. Existing products must be tested by January 2026, with public disclosure of results expected in the second half of next year.

    Health Minister Chung Eun-kyung said the system will support evidence-based smoking prevention, while Food and Drug Safety Minister Oh Yu-kyoung pledged transparent communication with the industry to ensure smooth rollout.

  • Vapers’ Alliance Challenges WHO Ahead of COP11

    Vapers’ Alliance Challenges WHO Ahead of COP11

    As the World Health Organization’s COP11 tobacco-control conference approaches, the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) is calling for consumers to be heard, projecting messages onto the venue demanding inclusion in policy discussions. WVA Director Michael Landl criticized the event as “an echo chamber stuck in outdated, anti-science thinking.”

    “Harm reduction isn’t a marketing ploy, it’s a public health necessity supported by hard data,” Landl said. “Consumers’ lives matter more than ideology or the views of wealthy WHO donors like Michael Bloomberg. It’s time consumers got a real seat at the table.”

    The group warned that WHO proposals to ban flavored vaping, cap nicotine levels, and raise taxes ignore scientific evidence that vaping and nicotine pouches are less harmful alternatives for smokers. WVA’s Liza Katsiashvili cautioned that bans and high taxes would only drive consumers to cigarettes or black markets, urging delegates to “listen to the facts, not ideology.” The WVA’s “Voices Unheard – Consumers Matter” campaign calls for governments to prioritize evidence-based regulation and give consumers a voice in global tobacco policy.

  • Luxembourg Tightens Rules on Tobacco Products, Pulls Pouches In

    Luxembourg Tightens Rules on Tobacco Products, Pulls Pouches In

    Luxembourg’s Chamber of Deputies adopted Bill No. 8333 on tobacco control yesterday (October 31), introducing stricter regulations for both traditional and emerging nicotine products. While the law transposes EU Directive 2022/2100, its most notable feature is the formal inclusion of nicotine pouches under tobacco-style rules, a category previously unregulated. Health authorities have welcomed the measure, whereas business groups have expressed concerns over potential economic impacts.

    Under the new law, nicotine pouches are now subject to advertising bans, sales restrictions to minors, labelling and notification requirements, and a strict nicotine cap of 0.048 mg per pouch or per gram. Additives such as caffeine and CBD are also prohibited. The use of these products will be restricted in public spaces, particularly in areas frequented by young people. These measures aim to curb access and prevent the perception of nicotine pouches as harmless alternatives.

    The new bill also “bans flavorings for heated tobacco products and requires health warnings on their packaging. It also sets out the rules for the labelling, presentation, and marketing of these products, including electronic cigarettes and nicotine-free liquids. Vending machines will now have to display health warnings and will no longer be allowed to display promotional graphics. Cigarette packs may only be sold in multiples of five, a measure aimed at limiting fragmented sales and making consumption less accessible to younger people,” according to Delano.

    Public health organizations hailed the legislation as a necessary step to protect youth and curb addiction; however, the Chamber of Commerce criticized the rules as overly restrictive, warning that the low nicotine limit could function as a de facto ban, potentially fostering black market sales and cross-border purchases. The law will take effect on the first day of the month following its publication in the Journal Officiel, with vending machine display requirements delayed by three months.

  • War on Tobacco or Assault on National Power?: Editorial

    War on Tobacco or Assault on National Power?: Editorial

    “In Brussels, they talk of ‘regulatory simplification,’ yet in international forums, they negotiate new layers of global bureaucracy, from tobacco to digital health and climate governance,” wrote analyst Javier Villamor in an article for The European Conservative. “But beyond the sanitary or environmental narrative, the plan represents a new attempt by Brussels to concentrate fiscal and regulatory powers at the expense of the Member States.”

    Villamor argues that as the European Union sidles up to the World Health Organization with its upcoming tobacco control conference (COP11), the actual purpose is to transfer regulatory power from national governments to international agencies without democratic oversight, as Brussels plans to automatically incorporate WHO-aligned measures into EU law.

    “What appears to be a technical step is, in reality, the transfer of Europe’s regulatory sovereignty to an international agency with no democratic legitimacy,” Villamor wrote. “Brussels not only intends to sign commitments on behalf of the Member States but also to incorporate them automatically into EU law through the forthcoming revision of the Tobacco Products Directive.

    “In practice, this would mean that decisions taken in Geneva offices could become binding bans in Madrid, Rome, or Warsaw—without parliamentary debate or national impact assessment.”

    As Brussels considers restrictions, bans, and taxes on virtually every product containing tobacco or nicotine, framing it all as a public health and environmental initiative, the plan includes fiscal measures under the Tobacco Excise Directive (TED) and Tobacco Excise Duty on Raw Tobacco (TEDOR), enabling the EU to directly collect up to 15% of national excise revenues and impose duty hikes of up to 900% on certain products. Observers, Villamor says, warn that such moves centralize authority, undermine the principle of subsidiarity, and risk harming over 80,000 European tobacco producers and small retailers, while benefiting third countries like Morocco and China.

    “The so-called ‘anti-tobacco crusade’ becomes a vehicle for recentralizing authority and financing the EU’s bureaucratic machinery under the guise of public health,” Villamor wrote. “The mechanism is well known: Brussels funds these organizations, they in turn demand that EU law be aligned with the WHO, and the Commission presents their demands as a ‘civil society consensus.’ A closed feedback loop of influence, where citizens pay to lose sovereignty.

    “Paradoxically, the countries with the best results in reducing smoking, such as Sweden, which has cut its rate to 5% thanks to regulated alternatives like snus and nicotine pouches, would be penalized for adopting effective national policies outside the WHO’s dogma.”