Malaysian police dismantled a foreign-run drug syndicate that allegedly used the country as a processing and packaging hub for MDMA-laced vape cartridges destined for Indonesia. In Operation Pijat, authorities arrested eight foreign nationals in Selangor and seized approximately 500 vape cartridges containing suspected MDMA, nearly 5 kg of the drug, and bottles of liquid MDMA with an estimated street value of RM152,400 ($38,000). Police believe the group had been operating since February, using remote locations to prepare the illicit products before smuggling them by sea, and said the syndicate had likely completed several overseas shipments before the operation disrupted its activities.
Category: Global Regulation
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UK Opens Consultation for Potential Vape Restrictions
Today (July 10), the UK Department of Health and Social Care announced the launch of a 12-week consultation on sweeping new restrictions covering the packaging, appearance, and retail display of vaping, tobacco, and nicotine products under powers granted by the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026. Running through Oct. 2, the consultation proposes requiring vapes to be sold in standardized white packaging with limited branding; restricting devices to black, white, or gray; banning cosmetic lighting and non-essential digital screens; and limiting flavor names to simple descriptors such as “berry” or “mint.” The proposals would also prohibit the public display of vapes at retail, requiring them to be kept out of sight, while extending standardized packaging rules to all tobacco products, including cigars, pipe tobacco, rolling papers, and heated tobacco kits. Tobacco packs would also be required to include government-specified quit-line inserts, and duty-free stores and airports would lose exemptions allowing tobacco displays.
If adopted, the measures would require manufacturers and retailers to redesign packaging, update product portfolios, and modify store layouts, while further reducing opportunities for brand differentiation. The government said the proposals are intended to curb youth vaping while preserving access for adults using vaping products to quit smoking. Health Secretary James Murray said the consultation aims to make vaping “less attractive for children and young people,” citing concerns over colorful packaging and youth-oriented product names. According to Action on Smoking and Health, 19% of 11- to 17-year-olds in Britain have tried vaping.
Observers who advocate for harm-reduction methods, however, were critical of the announcement.
“Most people wrongly believe that vaping is at least as dangerous as smoking,” said Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs. “This ignorance has led to vapers switching back to cigarettes and to smokers not switching to vapes. The government should be hammering home the message that vaping is a much safer alternative. Instead, it is sending the message that vapes are as bad as cigarettes by treating the two products the same. The forthcoming vape tax combined with a display ban and plain packaging will keep people smoking.”
“A one-size-fits-all approach that treats reduced-risk, smoke-free products in the same way as cigarettes risks making it harder for adult smokers to identify and switch to better alternatives,” said Dr. Marina Murphy, Head of External Affairs UK and Scientific Affairs at Haypp Group. “The most effective way to prevent youth access is through robust age-verification, enforcement of existing laws, and action against illicit sales. Packaging should support informed adult choice without undermining these measures or reducing the ability of smokers to identify less harmful alternatives.”
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Belarus Raising Tobacco Excise Stamps
Belarus increased the cost of excise tax stamps on tobacco products in two stages, with standard stamps rising from 2 kopecks to 3 kopecks ($0.007 to $0.011) through the end of 2026 and to 4 kopecks ($0.014) beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Self-adhesive stamps used for certain imported products marked at customs warehouses increased from 2 kopecks to 8 kopecks ($0.028) and will rise to 10 kopecks ($0.035) next year.
Despite the higher stamp costs, the changes are not expected to affect retail cigarette prices because prices are state-controlled and the stamp cost remains minimal compared with tobacco excise taxes. Current excise duties amount to 133.94 Belarusian rubles ($46.50) per 1,000 cigarettes in the first price category and 175.09 rubles ($60.80) for the second category.
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Alabama Denies Injunction Fighting Vape Regulatory Laws
The Alabama Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision denying a preliminary injunction against the state’s 2025 law regulating electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), allowing the law to remain in effect while litigation continues. The court ruled that the Vapor Technology Association and retailer Southside Vape had standing to challenge the law, but were unlikely to succeed on their claims that it is preempted by federal law or violates the dormant Commerce Clause.
The justices found that the federal Tobacco Control Act preserves states’ authority to regulate the sale and distribution of tobacco products more stringently than federal requirements, and that Alabama’s restrictions serve a legitimate public health purpose rather than unlawfully discriminating against interstate or foreign commerce. The law establishes certification requirements, fees, and an ENDS product directory, with penalties for retailers selling products not listed on the state-approved directory.
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Malaysia Confiscated 700kg of Drug-Laced Vapes Since 2023
Malaysian authorities seized more than 718 kg of illegal vape and e-cigarette products suspected of containing prohibited substances between 2023 and June 2026, according to the Home Ministry. The products were found to contain substances including synthetic drugs, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), mushroom extracts, and other psychoactive compounds. Over the period, authorities recorded 400 cases and arrested 585 individuals.
The ministry said the illicit products were primarily marketed to youths and students through social media, e-commerce platforms, and courier services, and announced plans to strengthen intelligence gathering, cyber monitoring, and forensic laboratory capabilities to identify and disrupt the illegal trade.
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Japan Shelves Tightening HTP Regulations
Today (July 9), Japan’s Ministry of Health said it will postpone tightening secondhand smoke regulations for heated tobacco products, concluding that current scientific evidence is insufficient to determine the health risks of secondhand exposure. The ministry will continue reviewing emerging research and revisit the issue in about three years, while moving ahead with stricter oversight of designated smoking facilities by requiring qualifying bars and similar venues to register with municipal authorities.
The decision follows a five-year review of the revised Health Promotion Act, which bans cigarette smoking in most indoor public spaces but permits HTP use in designated rooms. Although a recent review found some HTPs may emit higher levels of certain carcinogens than conventional cigarettes, the ministry said evidence on health effects for bystanders remains inconclusive. Public health experts on the advisory panel urged a more precautionary approach, while the ministry noted that HTPs now account for about 40% of all tobacco users in Japan, one of the world’s largest markets for heat-not-burn products.
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NC Budget Adds $1,000 Vape Shop Tax, Age Mandate
North Carolina’s new $34.4 billion state budget includes requirements for vape retailers, imposing a $1,000 annual tax on vape shops and requiring them to verify that customers are at least 21 years old. Retailers who already follow the federal Tobacco 21 law said the age-verification requirement formalizes existing practices, while the new tax will increase operating costs. The changes are part of the state’s broader effort to strengthen oversight of vape sales and reduce youth access to nicotine products.
According to ABC News 13, the budget measures have prompted calls from tobacco-control advocates to expand regulation beyond vaping products to include cigarettes, cigars, and nicotine pouches. Advocates also continue to push for Solly’s Law, which would establish a statewide tobacco retail licensing system and align North Carolina’s enforcement framework with the federal minimum tobacco sales age of 21. Retailers say they support reasonable regulations that promote compliance and keep nicotine products out of the hands of minors.
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Illicit Trade Picking Up in Wales
Authorities in Newport, Wales, say their city has become a hotspot for the illicit tobacco and vape trade, having already identified 17 businesses selling illegal products since January 2026 and taking enforcement action against 14, including closures and prosecutions. Trading Standards seized 272,740 illicit cigarettes, 85.25 kg of hand-rolling tobacco, and 9,694 illegal vaping devices so far this year, following 59 seizures and 46 closure orders in 2025.
With 9.8 vape shops per 100,000 people, Newport ranks eighth in the U.K. for vape shops per capita, fueling concerns over the rapid growth of the sector as officials say the illegal trade undermines legitimate retailers and is linked to wider criminal activity.
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Hawaii Bans Disposable Vapes
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green signed legislation banning the sale, distribution, and offering for sale of disposable electronic smoking devices beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Under SB 2175, violators face fines of up to $100 per day per violation. Green also signed HB 1573, which requires manufacturers of electronic smoking devices and e-liquids sold in Hawaii to provide documentation demonstrating FDA authorization, with penalties for noncompliance.
State lawmakers said the measures are intended to curb youth nicotine use and strengthen oversight of vaping products. Rep. Scot Matayoshi also indicated that lawmakers may consider future regulation of nicotine pouches, citing concerns over youth access to emerging nicotine products.
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Suriname Lawmaker Says Illicits Make Up 75% of Cigarette Market
Suriname lawmaker Wedprekash Joeloemsingh warned that illicit cigarettes now account for an estimated 75% of the country’s tobacco market, arguing that further tobacco tax increases could accelerate the shift away from legal sales. Joeloemsingh said the government is losing more than SRD 500 million ($13.5 million) in tax revenue due to illegal trade, alleging that cigarettes enter the market through both smuggling and diversion of goods imported as transit shipments. He called on the government to investigate the illicit market and strengthen enforcement rather than relying on additional tax increases.