TobaccoReporter logo

Category: Global Regulation

  • Concerns Loom Over S. Africa Tobacco Control Bill

    Concerns Loom Over S. Africa Tobacco Control Bill

    South Africa’s tobacco policy debate sharpened this week after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana used his Budget speech to warn that illicit trade is inflicting serious damage on the economy, while hours later the Department of Health faced pointed pushback in Parliament over whether its Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill adequately addresses that crisis. Appearing before the Portfolio Committee on Health, officials defended the Bill’s public health rationale, arguing it does not ban cigarettes and that smoking imposes greater economic costs than it generates. However, MPs from multiple parties pressed the Department on estimates that as much as 70% of the cigarette market may be illicit, questioning whether the proposed measures meaningfully target the dominant illegal segment.

    Lawmakers repeatedly raised concerns about enforcement capacity, proportionality, and the risk that additional regulatory burdens — such as plain packaging and stricter penalties — could further advantage criminal syndicates if illicit trade remains unchecked. The Department leaned on international precedent and South Africa’s obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, while some MPs called for greater differentiation between combustible and non-combustible products and more realistic alignment with local enforcement realities.

  • Malaysian Vape Ban Would Leave 1.4M Users in Limbo

    Malaysian Vape Ban Would Leave 1.4M Users in Limbo

    Malaysia is moving toward a nationwide vape ban that could leave an estimated 1.4 million adult users in limbo, as policymakers weigh stricter enforcement under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 and a possible phase-out of open and closed pod systems by 2026. While the government cites concerns over youth uptake and illicit drug-laced liquids, consumer groups and some public health experts warn that prohibition may drive sales underground or push former smokers back to combustible cigarettes, which remain far more prevalent among Malaysia’s 4.8 million smokers.

  • Canada’s Vape Shops Struggle with Compliance: Report

    Canada’s Vape Shops Struggle with Compliance: Report

    Nearly half of Canada’s specialty vape retailers were found non-compliant during federal inspections between April 2024 and March 2025, according to a new enforcement report from Health Canada. Inspectors found 43% of 546 specialty stores breached the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act and the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, resulting in product seizures at 235 locations — up from 38% non-compliance the previous year.

    Violations most commonly involved prohibited flavor promotion, improper health warnings, and nicotine concentrations exceeding 20 mg/mL. In contrast, fewer than 1% of 2,136 gas and convenience stores inspected were non-compliant. Manufacturer oversight also revealed compliance gaps, with 45% of 343 samples collected from 119 producers failing key regulatory requirements, prompting the seizure of 286,764 non-compliant products.

  • Indonesian Retailers Ban Vape Sales to Under-21s

    Indonesian Retailers Ban Vape Sales to Under-21s

    The Indonesian Vape Retailers Association (Arvindo) instructed all member stores to stop selling e-cigarettes to customers under 21, requiring retailers to display 21+ signage, and verify age with valid identification. Chairman Fachmi Kurnia said the move supports government efforts to curb youth access, a position echoed by the Tar and Smoke Free Movement, which maintains that alternative tobacco products should be reserved for adult smokers. Arvindo also urged policymakers to adopt science-based regulation and consider vaping’s harm-reduction potential, citing a 2025 JAMA Network study showing e-cigarettes were the most commonly used quit aid in England. The call comes as Indonesia faces persistently high smoking rates, with government data estimating 70 million active smokers, including significant youth prevalence.

  • De Facto Flavor Ban Threatens German Harm Reduction

    De Facto Flavor Ban Threatens German Harm Reduction

    Germany is advancing a draft regulation to ban menthol and other vape flavors containing synthetic cooling agents, with implementation possible in 2026 under the Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Food, according to Filter magazine. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) says cooling agents may make vaping easier to inhale and potentially increase nicotine intake, particularly among youth, though it acknowledges that coolants are “poorly researched,” with “very limited” data to back these claims.

    Critics, including the Bundesverband Rauchfreie Alternative, argue the measure amounts to a de facto flavor ban because cooling agents are widely used in e-liquids. They warn it could undermine harm-reduction efforts in Germany, where smoking rates remain high despite a 2020 menthol cigarette ban aligned with European Union rules.

    Opponents say restricting flavored vapes risks pushing consumers back to combustible cigarettes or into illicit markets. Heino Stover, professor of social science addiction research at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, told Filter that the “scientific evidence is not there” to warrant such a sweeping ban. “A ban on flavors will not help decrease the high smoking prevalence,” he said. Germany’s aim of reducing its smoking rate to 5% or below by 2040 already seemed ‘unrealistic’ before the proposed ban; it now looks even more unrealistic.”

    The draft remains under review.

  • Taiwan Fines Top $28M Since Vape Laws Changed

    Taiwan Fines Top $28M Since Vape Laws Changed

    Taiwan’s Health Promotion Administration said authorities have imposed NT$880 million ($28 million) in fines over the past three years for illegal e-cigarettes and unapproved heated tobacco products, following amendments to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act that took effect in March 2023. As of the end of January, officials had conducted more than 970,000 on-site and online inspections, issuing 10,084 penalties — 3,266 related to e-cigarettes and 6,818 to heated tobacco products — including 204 cases tied to online platforms and 2,033 involving illegal use. The agency reiterated that e-cigarettes remain illegal in Taiwan and warned of health risks.

  • UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill to Enter Report Stage

    UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill to Enter Report Stage

    Members of the House of Lords will begin report-stage scrutiny of the UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill tomorrow (Feb. 24), marking a further phase of detailed examination and amendments. The legislation proposes a generational smoking ban that would make it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, with the legal age rising by one year annually from 2027, alongside tighter regulation of vapes and other nicotine products, including potential advertising restrictions.

    Peers are suggesting amendments covering a possible increase in the sales age to 21, stricter age verification requirements, expanded powers to restrict product sales, greater transparency of tobacco sales data, and the creation of a youth vaping and waste taskforce. For retailers, particularly convenience stores, the bill could significantly alter compliance requirements, complicating age checks as different thresholds apply across tobacco, alcohol and other age-restricted categories.

  • Jamaica Ups Cigarette Tax 2 Cents per Stick

    Jamaica Ups Cigarette Tax 2 Cents per Stick

    Jamaica will increase the Special Consumption Tax (SCT) on cigarettes from J$17 to J$20 ($0.11 to $0.13) per stick effective May 1, a move expected to generate approximately $1.1 billion ($7 million) in additional revenue. The measure aligns with Jamaica’s commitments under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and comes as lawmakers continue deliberations on broader tobacco control legislation, including regulations on advertising and electronic nicotine delivery systems.

  • Myanmar Bans Vapes

    Myanmar Bans Vapes

    Myanmar officially banned the import, export, sale, possession, and use of e-cigarettes, e-shisha and related accessories under an order issued by the Ministry of Health following Cabinet authorization. Enforced under the Essential Supplies and Services Law, the sweeping prohibition targets vaping products amid rising youth uptake. Deputy Director General Kyaw Kan Kaung said the move aims to protect public health, rejecting claims that e-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes.

  • Indonesian Health Groups Push to Regulate Vape Packaging

    Indonesian Health Groups Push to Regulate Vape Packaging

    Indonesian health groups are pressing the Ministry of Health to immediately mandate pictorial health warnings and standardized packaging for e-cigarettes, citing rising youth use and regulatory gaps. The Indonesian Health Policy Room, TCSC–IAKMI, and CISDI warned that colorful vape packaging and weak oversight increase the risk of nicotine addiction and exposure to illicit substances among adolescents, and called for stronger enforcement and a ban on e-cigarette advertising on social media.

    Citing national data showing high smoking rates among teens, the groups urged swift regulatory action to curb youth uptake and close oversight gaps.