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Category: Global Regulation

  • Major U.K. Supermarkets Told to Stop Tobacco Ads

    Major U.K. Supermarkets Told to Stop Tobacco Ads

    The British government has contacted Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, two of the UK’s largest supermarket chains, asking them to stop “advertising and promoting” heated tobacco products, which it says is against the law, according to the BBC. It was reported in February that both supermarkets were displaying posters and video screens showing devices that create a “nicotine-containing vapor by heating tobacco with an electric current.” At the time, both supermarkets said they believed the adverts were legal.

    Since 2002, the law has defined a tobacco product as something designed to be “smoked, sniffed, sucked or chewed.” Those supporting heated products point out that such products do not produce smoke, and Philip Morris International says it believes the Department of Health’s interpretation of the law is wrong, and says it has “complied with all applicable laws and regulations” since it launched its heated product, iQos, in 2016.

    The government has now written to the supermarkets saying that, in its opinion, the law does apply to heated products.

    A spokesperson for Morrisons said it was reviewing the letter and would respond “in due course.” Sainsbury’s said, “We remain in close contact with the government and industry partners and are planning our transition to ensure we also comply with planned incoming legislation.”

    It would likely take a court case to settle this dispute; however, currently, there is a bill at the committee stage in the House of Lords that is expected to conclusively ban all tobacco and vape advertising and sponsorship, making other legal actions futile.

  • Kenyan Officials Pushing Tobacco Packaging Changes

    Kenyan Officials Pushing Tobacco Packaging Changes

    Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health, Hon. Aden Duale, issued a warning to tobacco manufacturers and distributors, urging full compliance with the country’s new packaging regulations under the Tobacco Control Act. Duale said all tobacco products must display graphic health warnings (GHWs)—including images and pictograms—as stipulated in Section 21 of the Act. The Ministry has granted a nine-month compliance period from the date of gazettment.

    “These warnings are not optional. They are a legal requirement designed to educate the public and protect our youth and vulnerable populations from the dangers of tobacco,” said Duale. “Non-compliance will attract the full force of the law.”

    The Ministry of Health issued the third set of GHWs last week.

  • Croatia Adds Taxes to E-Liquids, Ups Them on Tobacco Products

    Croatia Adds Taxes to E-Liquids, Ups Them on Tobacco Products

    Croatia proposed a new regulation to increase excise taxes on tobacco products and, for the first time, impose a tax on e-cigarette liquids, set to take effect July 1, according to Lider Media.

    Under the draft, the specific excise duty on cigarettes will rise from €53.10 to €56.10 per 1,000 cigarettes, and the minimum duty will increase to €124.20. Taxes on fine-cut tobacco, cigars, heated tobacco, and new tobacco products will also go up.

    E-liquids, previously untaxed, will now be charged at €0.20 per milliliter.

    The government expects to raise an additional €74.7 million, citing both fiscal benefits and public health goals, including reduced smoking rates and compliance with WHO guidelines.

    Public consultation is currently underway.

  • Kyrgyz Health Minister Proposes Raising Tobacco Taxes

    Kyrgyz Health Minister Proposes Raising Tobacco Taxes

    Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Health, Erkin Checheybayev, proposed raising excise taxes on tobacco products as part of a broader effort to improve public health, particularly among the country’s youth. Roughly 22% of adults in Kyrgyzstan smoke.

    Earlier this week, a delegation from the WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub met with Checheybayev to present the TETSiM simulation model, an analytical tool demonstrating how raising excise taxes can both reduce tobacco consumption and increase government revenue. The discussion focused on strategies to reduce tobacco affordability and consumption through effective taxation measures. “Despite the public health burden, Kyrgyzstan’s current tobacco excise tax remains below 50% of the retail price of cigarettes, significantly lower than the WHO-recommended threshold of 75% or more,” The Times of Central Asia said. 

  • Dutch Foundation Threatens SnapChat Over Vape Marketing

    Dutch Foundation Threatens SnapChat Over Vape Marketing

    Dutch anti-smoking foundation Stichting Rookpreventie Jeugd is threatening legal action against social media giant SnapChat, accusing the platform of facilitating the illegal sale of vapes to minors. The foundation imposed a two-week deadline to take action before it files a formal complaint with the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) and the European Commission, potentially triggering regulatory intervention.

    Despite a national ban on flavored vapes implemented over a year ago, such products continue to circulate online, including on SnapChat.

    “SnapChat is the place for vape dealers to reach teens, children tell us,” said Dr. Daniëlle Cohen, a lung pathologist affiliated with the group. “We are seeing a growing number of young people suffering from serious nicotine addiction, with major consequences for their physical and mental health.”

    Lawyer Laura van Gijn, representing the foundation, says SnapChat is failing to meet its obligations under the Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to actively monitor and restrict harmful content. “If SnapChat can recognize and remove nude images, it can certainly exclude the promotion of vapes,” she told Dutch broadcaster NOS.

  • Pakistan Increases Tobacco Tax 240%

    Pakistan Increases Tobacco Tax 240%

    With cigarette manufacturers in Pakistan already pointing to an excessive Federal Excise Duty (FED) as a reason for a significant decrease in sales and a rising black market, the federal government announced it is imposing a 6% withholding tax on cigarette distributors in the 2025-26 budget, senior sources told ProPakistani. This will be an increase from the previous 2.5% rate.

    The provision for withholding tax rates under Section 153 of the Income Tax Ordinance will be changed to charge the new tax on the gross amount of payment received by distributors when they hand over cigarette sticks to retailers.

    It was previously reported that Pakistan’s government was facing pressure from the World Health Organization to increase its FED further.

  • Australia’s Anti-Smoking Push Fuels Crime, Fails to Curb Smoking 

    Australia’s Anti-Smoking Push Fuels Crime, Fails to Curb Smoking 

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) condemned Australia’s tobacco control strategy as a “public health failure” that prioritizes ideology over evidence, fueling a A$6.3 billion ($4.1 billion)  illicit tobacco market while adult smoking rates remain stagnant. New data reveals one in four cigarettes consumed in Australia originates from the black market — CAPHRA says that is a direct consequence of the world’s highest tobacco taxes and restrictive vaping policies.  

    CAPHRA argues this crisis exposes a fatal flaw in Australia’s approach: prohibition without offering safer alternatives drives consumers to criminal networks rather than reducing harm. 

    “Australia’s tobacco policy doesn’t pass the pub test,” said Nancy Loucas, CAPHRA’s executive coordinator. “Sky-high cigarette prices haven’t made people quit—they’ve made criminals rich.

    “The government’s own figures show smoking rates flatlined at 11% since 2019 despite taxing a pack to A$50 ($32.50). Meanwhile, organized crime syndicates pocket A$2.3 billion ($1.5 billion) annually in evaded excise, funding drug trafficking and violent turf wars.” 

    CAPHRA’s data said Australia’s illicit tobacco trade has surged by 46% since 2020, with over 800,000 smuggled cigarettes intercepted monthly at airports. Criminal syndicates increasingly exploit international travelers, while fire bombings of non-compliant retailers exceed 220 incidents since 2023. 

    “This isn’t just about lost tax revenue—it’s about community safety,” Loucas said. “Melbourne’s ‘tobacco war’ has seen shops torched and innocent bystanders endangered. The government transformed a health issue into a national security crisis by ignoring basic economics: punitive taxes without alternatives breed black markets.” 

  • FDA Updates Tobacco Application Forms; Effective Immediately

    FDA Updates Tobacco Application Forms; Effective Immediately

    Today (June 6), the FDA posted six updated or new forms that are required for submitting new tobacco product applications under the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) and Substantial Equivalence (SE) pathways. Starting July 6, 2025, applicants must use these forms in their PMTA and SE Report submissions. If applicants do not use the latest version of the forms or do not complete them properly, FDA generally intends to refuse to accept the application.

    The updated forms reflect public comments and are part of FDA’s work to promote efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency to improve its tobacco product application review process. The latest versions of the forms offer new instructions and additional details on the information applicants are required to include. Ultimately, these forms can help applicants submit higher-quality applications to facilitate FDA’s review.

    A list of the updated forms is below. Use of old versions of the forms will no longer be accepted after the 30-day notice period.

    Updated PMTA forms:

    • Form FDA 4057 – Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) Submission
    • Form FDA 4057a – Premarket Tobacco Product Application Amendment and General Correspondence Submission
    • Form FDA 4057b – PMTA Unique Identifying Information for New Tobacco Products (formerly referred to as a grouping spreadsheet)

    Updated or new SE forms: 

    • Form FDA 3965 – Tobacco Substantial Equivalence Report Submission
    • Form FDA 3965a – Tobacco Substantial Equivalence Report Amendment and General Correspondence Submission (formerly Form FDA 3964)
    • Form FDA 3965b (NEW) – SE Unique Identifying Information for New Tobacco Products

    To assist applicants’ proper use of Form FDA 4057b and Form FDA 3965b, FDA is releasing version 2.0 of its Product Form Validator Tool. Applicants may use the tool for both forms to validate the data and confirm if a completed form is consistent with FDA ingestion requirements before submission.

    If applicants have questions about the forms, they can email AskCTP@fda.hhs.gov or call 1-877-287-1373 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. EST. Additionally, applicants can explore FDA’s PMTA tips. 

  • House Working with Trump’s $6.8B FDA Budget

    House Working with Trump’s $6.8B FDA Budget

    House appropriators advanced a bill to fund the FDA for fiscal 2026 on a party-line vote out of a subcommittee yesterday (June 5)— but, according to Politico, the bill has a long path ahead before it potentially becomes law. The topline number from the House bill aligns with President Donald Trump’s budget proposal, which sought $6.8 billion for the FDA.

    The budget calls for $3.2 billion in direct appropriations, with the rest coming from user fee revenue. It also represents a $300 million cut in taxpayer funding compared to what the House Appropriations subcommittee sought last year for fiscal 2025.

    According to Politico, the Senate is likely to fund the agency at a higher level than the House. Sen. John Hoeven, the Republican senator in charge of FDA appropriations, said Trump’s proposal is a starting point.

    “We now have the president’s budget proposal,” Hoeven said. “But we’re going through our process now, and it will be different. … I think that you’ll see when we bring it out that we adequately fund FDA.”

  • Dutch Switching Focus from Tobacco to Nicotine 

    Dutch Switching Focus from Tobacco to Nicotine 

    The nicotine content in some tobacco-free smoking products is 18 to 25 times the maximum advisory amount for tobacco products, Dutch health institute RIVM concluded following an investigation on behalf of the health ministry. As the EU has no official regulations in place for nicotine limits in tobacco-free products, the RIVM is recommending the limit be the same as the existing limits for tobacco products.

    Esther Croes, an expert on tobacco at public health institute Trimbos, said strict regulations are needed for products that contain nicotine but no tobacco, and is calling for a ban on new nicotine products entering the market.

    “Manufacturers have done this before, as with Swedish snus,” she said. “That also used no tobacco, but cellulose with nicotine. Tomorrow they will use something else. We have already seen nicotine-infused toothpicks. None of this falls under tobacco legislation.”