TobaccoReporter logo

Category: Global Regulation

  • Thailand: Vape Users Can be Charged with Receiving Smuggled Goods 

    Thailand: Vape Users Can be Charged with Receiving Smuggled Goods 

    The Thai government will take tougher action against e-cigarette users, who can now be charged with receiving smuggled products, deputy government spokesman Anukul Prueksa-anurak said. The government will step up its suppression efforts of e-cigarettes and related products, prosecuting not only smugglers and distributors but now also the users. 

    Under the Customs Act, the offense carries a jail term of up to five years and/or a fine equivalent to four times as much as the prices of smuggled products plus any duty. E-cigarettes are illegal in Thailand, but that has not stopped them from being openly sold, even in areas near schools, leading to an alarming increase in vaping among young people. The recent hospitalization of teens with lung damage has drawn further attention to the problem.

    Anukul said the percentage of vape users among people aged 15-29 years rose from 5.8% in 2019 to 12.2% in 2024.

    Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra recently ordered a serious crackdown on e-cigarettes, particularly online sales channels. Anukul said that in the two months since the crackdown began, sales and the number of e-cigarette users had dropped by more than 80%.

  • China Tackles North Korean Cigarette Bootleggers 

    China Tackles North Korean Cigarette Bootleggers 

    Chinese authorities have intensified their crackdown on smuggled North Korean cigarettes, one of Pyongyang’s primary illicit exports, causing the distribution network to shrink dramatically, Daily NK has learned. Although secretly distributed in China for years and popular among local consumers for their value, the contraband cigarettes now face serious challenges as distributors and sellers are being arrested or fined.

    “This month alone, three Chinese dealers handling North Korean cigarettes were arrested for smuggling,” a Daily NK source in North Pyongan province said recently. “Distribution has virtually stopped as Chinese authorities target mail and parcel services in Liaoning and Jilin provinces.”

    About 20 cigarette brands from North Korea’s major tobacco factories—including Yalu River Cigarette Company, Pyongyang Unha Tobacco Factory, and Naegohyang Tobacco Factory—were being sold secretly in Chinese markets.

    North Korean cigarettes match Chinese luxury brands in quality but cost less, making them consistently popular among Chinese smokers. Despite prices nearly doubling since pre-COVID times, they remain cheaper than local alternatives, maintaining steady demand. The situation changed abruptly when China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration partnered with police to intensify operations against illicit North Korean cigarette imports and distribution. Those caught distributing or selling the contraband now face substantial fines or prison sentences. 

    “Chinese traders now avoid cigarettes as police raid warehouses and seize stores based on tip-offs,” the source explained. “With 200,000 yuan  ($28,000) fines and threats of being treated like drug dealers, traders are either complaining or quitting the business.”

  • Thailand Tobacco Raids Uncover Major Smuggling Network

    Thailand Tobacco Raids Uncover Major Smuggling Network

    Thailand’s Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) conducted four simultaneous raids in central Phuket, cracking down on an illegal cigarette smuggling network. Three people were arrested for violating the Customs Act, and cigarettes worth an estimated 4 million baht ($120,000) of lost tax revenue were seized. The network reportedly included several influential figures, including a politician who is a candidate for the local council, though the report did not disclose the politician’s name.

    Investigations revealed the cigarettes were smuggled into Phuket by sea, primarily using tour boats, and then distributed locally by a network. Some of the contraband was also distributed through a private logistics company and was also being sold online.

    Ronnarong Thipsiri, deputy director-general of DOPA said the raids were prompted by tips from residents about the illegal sale and transportation of untaxed cigarettes.

  • Thailand to Pay Informants 

    Thailand to Pay Informants 

    The Thai government has introduced a controversial but potentially effective policy targeting e-cigarette users and sellers. Under this scheme, anyone reporting illegal vaping activities via the Thang Rath mobile app is eligible to receive 60% of the fines collected.

    Informants could earn as much as B3,000 ($90) from a single successful report, a compelling incentive to help enforce this law.

  • Opinion: Hopes for Transforming the FDA

    Opinion: Hopes for Transforming the FDA

    Writing for the Tax Foundation, Adam Hoffer published “Opportunities to Reform the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products,” where he discussed the lingering challenges plaguing the CTP and suggested a pathway forward.

    “The CTP has come under heavy criticism in recent years, which we have covered extensively due to the surge in illicit market activity and the resulting challenges of implementing tax policy on alternative tobacco products (ATPs),” Hoffer wrote. “In 2022, the FDA requested the Reagan Udall Foundation conduct an independent investigation of the CTP. The resulting report highlighted several shortcomings, including a lack of a clear regulatory and product approval framework, an inefficient and slow product review process, a lack of transparency and communication, and broad struggles with the vaping market. We have identified four broad categories for CTP reform with direct policy actions to achieve each goal.”

    The suggestions were:

    1. Enhance Transparency and Accountability

    • CTP Should Publish a Rubric that Includes Requirements for Product Approval

    2. Streamline the Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) Process

    • CTP Should Create a Fast-Track PMTA Approval Pathway for Reduced-Risk Products
    • Default Marketing Authorization Approval Should Occur After 180 Days

    3. Fix the US Vaping Market

    • CTP Should Authorize More Legal Vaping Products
    • CTP Should Strengthen Enforcement Against Illegal Products

    4. Address Blind Spots – The Teen Vaping Crisis That Isn’t

    Dr. Adam Hoffer is the director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation. He earned his doctorate in economics from West Virginia University and his undergraduate degree from Washington & Jefferson College.

  • Pakistan: Cracking Down on Illegal Sheesha Cafes

    Pakistan: Cracking Down on Illegal Sheesha Cafes

    In a coordinated move, district administration and police teams in Pakistan conducted surprise raids, shutting down nine sheesha cafes operating illegally in Bahria Town’s Civic Center. The operation, aimed at curbing unauthorized indoor hookah services, resulted in the arrest of 60 men and 4 women allegedly linked to the businesses.

    According to the spokesman of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration, 110 hookah devices, along with flavored tobacco products, were confiscated during the raids. The crackdown follows growing concerns over violations of public health regulations and indoor smoking bans. Officials emphasized that the cafes were operating without permits and failed to comply with safety standards.

    District officials highlighted that the action aligns with broader efforts to enforce anti-smoking laws, particularly in indoor spaces. “These facilities posed risks to public health and ignored legal guidelines,” stated a spokesman. “We will continue targeting non-compliant businesses.”

    Authorities confirmed that further inspections are planned across the district to identify similar operations. Residents have been urged to report illegal shisha services via dedicated hotlines. The crackdown marks a renewed push to uphold public health laws, with officials vowing zero tolerance for unauthorized hookah businesses.

  • Maldives Sets Generational Tobacco Ban 

    Maldives Sets Generational Tobacco Ban 

    Maldives’ cabinet implemented a generational tobacco ban for those born on or after January 1, 2007. Under this ban, the sale, purchase, and use of tobacco for those born after the date will be prohibited.

    The cabinet decided to allocate a six-month grace period for enforcement authorities to revise existing regulations following the amendment of the law, thus the ban will come into effect on November 1. The cabinet also instructed the Ministry of Finance and Planning to collaborate with the Ministry of Health to facilitate access to tobacco cessation services.

    Prior to reaching this decision, the President conducted a public poll, finding most participants favored the generational ban be applied to those born 2000 onwards; however, the cabinet decided on the year 2007.

  • Punjab to Get Strict With Public Smoking Ban 

    Punjab to Get Strict With Public Smoking Ban 

    Pakistan’s Prohibition of Smoking Ordinance 2002 outlawed smoking in public, but the law was rarely enforced. The Punjab provincial government is looking to change that, however, ordering strict enforcement across the province, including in Rawalpindi. According to reports, the enforcement will be mostly centered around educational institutions, but will also include government offices, hospitals, shopping malls, and public transport. The Express Tribune reported that violators could face fines ranging from Rs1,000 to Rs100,000 ($3.60 to $360) depending on the severity of the offense.

    The provincial government directed all public institutions, especially those under the School Education Department, to appoint focal persons and trainers for tobacco control enforcement.

    “Our top priority is to protect students from tobacco use,” Commission Coordinator Syed Nazrat Ali said. “Tobacco consumption leads to throat cancer, heart disease, and lung disorders, causing over 160,000 deaths annually.” 

    “It is now mandatory for cigarette retailers to display warning notices. Selling cigarettes within 50 meters of educational institutions is strictly prohibited.” He added that designated officers have the authority to impose fines, shut down shops, and confiscate goods in case of non-compliance.

  • Taiwan Checks ID Checkers 

    Taiwan Checks ID Checkers 

    An undercover survey in Taiwan showed that 26.9% of tobacco retailers did not check ID cards for buyers in school uniforms, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said. From May to November last year, the Consumers’ Foundation conducted its annual inspection by sending 20-year-old volunteers in high-school uniforms to buy cigarettes at 854 retailers across the nation.

    Officials said that 38.6% of betel nut vendors, 26.9% of general stores, 23.4% of franchised supermarkets and hypermarkets, and 21.5% of franchised convenience stores failed to check buyer ID. From 2023, noncompliance decreased 4.6% for betel nut vendors, 5.7% for general stores, and 1.4% for franchised convenience stores, but increased 4.3% for supermarket and hypermarket franchises, they said.

    The nation’s retailers were insufficiently vigilant in ensuring that clerks know and follow the law, foundation secretary-general Chen Ya-ping said. Although the noncompliance figures were down, 15% of the clerks interviewed reported not knowing that the smoking age had been raised to 20 years. High turnover in venues and inadequate employee training appeared to be the main cause of the failure to check IDs, she added.

    Last year, retailers were fined a combined NT$1.15 million ($34,846) for 134 tobacco buyer ID citations, HPA Deputy Director-General Chia Shu-li said.

  • Denver Flavor Ban to be Decided by Voters

    Denver Flavor Ban to be Decided by Voters

    In December 2024, the Denver City Council voted 11-1 to ban flavored tobacco products. Since then, a group of business owners led by Phil Guerin, the owner of Myxed Up Creations smoke shop, has been battling to have the decision on whether the ban should be enforced left to the voters.

    To push the matter to a vote, the business owners needed to collect about 9,500 signatures on a petition. Their coalition, called Citizen Power, collected more than 17,000 signatures. Today (April 10), the city declared that the petition is sufficient, but, according to Ben Warwick with Denver’s Clerk and Recorder’s Office, is waiting until a protest period ends Friday before formally notifying the city council. Warwick said it will then be up to the city council to determine the election date. The next general election is set for this November.

    “We are fighting David versus Goliath, and we are David,” said Guerin, adding that flavored products account for about half of his business. “I’ve been able to go around and talk to a lot of my competitors and bring us all under the same tent.

    “There’s already a ban for children. This is a ban on adults, and honestly, this is a ban on small, family-owned businesses. If we lost that business, it would be almost impossible to sustain after that point.”