Several new Illinois tax increases take effect today (July 1), including for gasoline, sports bets, and tobacco and nicotine products. The state is attempting to raise $30 million in new revenue.
The tax on tobacco and nicotine products other than cigarettes, including vapes, pouches, and cigars, will increase to 45% across the board, regardless of the previous tax rate. Tobacco retailers will also see their annual license fee double, going from $75 to $150 per year.
Effective today (July 1), in order to “bolster public finances while also supporting public health,” Croatia implemented new excise duty regulations on tobacco products in a move expected to boost state revenues by €74.7 million by year’s end. The Ministry of Finance said the impact on cigarette retail prices will be minimal, with “no more than a 20-cent increase per pack.”
Under the updated rules, the specific excise duty on cigarettes will rise from €53.10 to €56.10 per 1,000 cigarettes, while the minimum excise duty will increase to €124.20. Fine-cut and other smoking tobacco will increase from €114.15 to €120.50/kg, heated tobacco will increase from €185.82 to €198.50/kg, cigars and cigarillos will be taxed at €120.50 per 1,000 pieces, e-liquids will be taxed at €0.20 per milliliter, and new tobacco products will be taxed at €120.50/kg.
New South Wales, Australia, is implementing a new mandatory tobacco licensing scheme starting July 1, requiring all retailers and wholesalers selling tobacco and non-tobacco smoking products to hold a valid annual license. The annual license will cost A$1,100 ($726), with applications opening July 1. Businesses must apply by October 1 to continue trading while their applications are assessed.
After October 2, only approved license holders can legally sell smoking products. Penalties for non-compliance include fines of up to A$11,000 ($7,260) for individuals and A$220,000 ($145,200) for corporations.
The Egyptian House of Representatives approved a government-backed amendment to the Value Added Tax Law, aimed at bolstering state revenues and advancing tax and social equity. A key provision of the amendment involves a structured increase of 12% annually to the minimum and maximum retail price thresholds for cigarettes, beginning November 5, 2025, and running through 2028.
New cigarette price thresholds for 2025 for local cigarettes priced below EGP 38.88 ($0.78) will increase to EGP 48 ($0.96); cigarettes priced between EGP 38.88 and EGP 56.44 ($1.13) will increase to EGP 48 to EGP 69 ($1.38); and imported brands priced up to EGP 56.44 will increase to EGP 69.
Over the weekend, France officially banned smoking in public parks, beaches, bus shelters, and within 10 meters of schools, libraries, and swimming pools, as part of a push “to protect children from secondhand smoke and move toward a tobacco-free generation by 2032.”
Effective June 29, the new law introduced fines of up to €700 for violations. Smoking is still allowed on bar and restaurant terraces, and electronic cigarettes remain exempt.
Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said the ban is meant to ensure public spaces remain places to “play, learn, and breathe — not for smoking.” While many welcomed the move, some smokers and café associations criticized the exemption for terraces and the lack of clarity on vaping.
The World Health Organization (WHO) criticized Pakistan’s Federal Cabinet’s decision to keep its Federal Excise Duty (FED) on cigarettes unchanged in the 2025–26 budget, saying it will likely boost consumption and undermine public health. According to a WHO analysis, FED rates haven’t increased since February 2023, while inflation has surged 26%, resulting in declining real prices and even greater affordability.
For fiscal year 2024–25, WHO estimated cigarette production in Pakistan reached 37 billion sticks, generating Rs 208 billion ($728 million) in FED revenue. With excise duty unchanged, cigarette output is projected to rise to 38 billion sticks in 2025–26, yielding Rs 217.6 billion ($762 million) in revenue.
WHO says a Rs 39 ($0.14) per pack FED increase would reduce smoking by 10.7%, lower production to approximately 34 billion sticks, and increase revenues by 20.9%.
Speaking at the World Conference on Tobacco Control, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin urged governments worldwide to adopt “the strongest possible measures against vaping,” warning that e-cigarette manufacturers are replicating the “predatory playbook” of the traditional tobacco industry—particularly by targeting youth.
“All the same issues we had to deal with in respect of cigarettes, we have to deal with vaping,” said Martin. “We’re catching up a bit later in Ireland with that.”
Ireland’s new restrictions on flavorings, product placement, and packaging design are scheduled to be enforced in February 2026, based on legislation introduced by the previous government. Youth vaping is accelerating across Europe—10.8% of adolescents aged 13–15 now use some form of tobacco, including e-cigarettes.
The rise in youth vaping spurred the European Commission to update its Recommendation on Smoke-Free Environments to explicitly include vapes and heated tobacco products, urging member states to ban vaping wherever smoking is prohibited, and is now further considering flavor bans, restrictions on online sales, and heavier taxation.
Pakistan’s Lahore High Court granted interim relief to vape shopkeepers in Punjab by ordering the reopening of shops closed by the provincial administration. The decision follows a petition by 74 vape dealers, arguing the closures were illegal and without notice.
Justice Anwar Hussain said the government failed to justify the crackdown legally and issued a stay order halting further action until a final decision is made. The Punjab government has until July 3 to submit a formal reply.
The vape shops were sealed following a provincial ban on e-cigarettes announced on June 3 by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to “protect youth health.” Petitioners claim the ban is unconstitutional and violates their right to lawful business.
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) said it acknowledges Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s decision to retain Dr. Teodoro Herbosa as Secretary of Health but called for urgent reforms to align the Department of Health’s (DOH) policies with global evidence on tobacco harm reduction. CAPHRA argued leadership must now prioritize science over ideology to address the Philippines’ stalled progress in reducing smoking-related deaths.
“While we respect the President’s decision, it is deeply concerning that the DOH continues to ignore the role of safer nicotine products in saving lives,” said Clarisse Yvette P. Virgino, CAPHRA’s Philippine Representative. “Secretary Herbosa’s reappointment must mark a turning point—a commitment to evidence-based strategies, not continued reliance on outdated prohibitionist policies.”
CAPHRA said that under Herbosa’s tenure, the Philippines has maintained regressive vaping regulations despite global precedents. It pointed to the UK’s National Health Service as an example, attributing its record-low 6% smoking rate to regulated vaping access, while Australia’s pharmacy-only model has fueled a thriving black market without reducing smoking rates.
“The DOH’s refusal to distinguish between deadly combustible tobacco and safer alternatives like vaping perpetuates needless deaths,” Virgino said. “Over 60% of Filipino smokers still wrongly believe nicotine causes cancer—a myth the DOH has done little to correct.
“The DOH’s current approach fails the ‘pub test.’ How can we claim progress when 16 million Filipinos still smoke and illicit trade thrives? Secretary Herbosa must choose: Will he defend outdated dogma, or embrace innovation that saves lives?”
On the opening day of the World Conference on Tobacco Control (WCTC) in Dublin, the World Vapers’ Alliance staged a silent protest outside the venue, visually highlighting the exclusion of consumers from global tobacco and nicotine policy debates. Demonstrators with their mouths taped symbolized the ongoing marginalization of those most affected by regulatory decisions.
The protest is part of the “Voices Unheard—Consumers Matter!” campaign, launched as delegates gathered inside to discuss the future of tobacco control without meaningful input from the consumers who are most impacted by these policies.
Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, said outdated, ideologically driven policies, often influenced by powerful interests like Michael Bloomberg, threaten to reverse progress in reducing smoking rates. “Safer nicotine alternatives have the potential to save millions of lives, but only if they are supported by sensible, evidence-based regulation. We cannot afford to let ideology stand in the way of real progress,” he said.
The campaign comes at a time when the World Health Organization is pushing for sweeping bans on flavored nicotine products, including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. Such measures would remove vital tools from adults seeking to quit smoking and could drive many back to combustible tobacco.