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Macau is set to expand its outdoor non-smoking areas by introducing a mandatory 10-metre smoke-free buffer zone around the entrances of all hospitals, health centres, nurseries, crèches, and educational facilities, including primary and secondary schools. The measure is part of a newly concluded amendment bill to the Regime of Tobacco Prevention and Control. The Executive Council has finished discussing the draft, which will now be forwarded to the Legislative Assembly for legislative review. Under the proposed framework, the Chief Executive will also be empowered to designate specific high-traffic areas as non-smoking zones via executive order, restricting smoking strictly to designated spots within those locations.

The amendment substantially tightens restrictions on alternative tobacco products. It proposes a comprehensive ban on the manufacture, distribution, sale, import, export, and transport — both into and out of the city — of nicotine pouches, herbal cigarettes, and waterpipes (shisha), along with their components and accessories. The draft also outlaws the consumption or possession of e-cigarettes and their parts across all indoor public spaces, designated smoking areas, and collective outdoor spaces, subject to a six-month transitional period. Cheang Seng Ip, Acting Director of the Health Bureau, clarified that once the legislation takes effect, vaping will be prohibited everywhere in Macau except inside private homes, with violators facing fines and immediate confiscation of their devices. The bill further targets traditional smoking through packaging and enforcement measures. It introduces plain, standardized packaging for tobacco products, requiring graphic health warnings to cover 85 percent of the two largest surfaces on standard cigarette packets; for cigars and cigarillos, warnings must span at least 70 percent of one primary surface and 100 percent of the other. The tobacco industry will be granted an 18-month transitional period to adapt to the new packaging rules. To modernize enforcement, the amendment also authorizes tobacco control inspectors to be equipped with and use body-worn cameras while on duty.

FRE Nicotine Pouches announced a multiyear partnership with TKO Group Holdings, Inc, designating FRE as the official nicotine pouch partner of UFC, Zuffa Boxing, PBR, UFC BJJ, World’s Strongest Man, and Formula Drift. The collaboration will integrate FRE products into premium fan experiences across six TKO-affiliated properties, connecting adult nicotine users to custom activations, content, and on-site events.

The partnership leverages the highly engaged, predominantly adult (21+) audiences of TKO properties. UFC alone reaches over 90% adults, providing a platform for responsible marketing to current nicotine users. FRE will feature exclusive fan activations from the Octagon and boxing ring to the PBR bucking chute and Formula Drift racetrack, emphasizing its positioning as a performance-driven brand for competitive adult consumers.

The partnership officially launches at UFC 327 on 11 April in Miami, Florida, bringing the brand to the center of high-profile sporting events.

South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare said it is not currently reviewing a cigarette price increase or a new health levy on alcohol, stressing both require “sufficient social discussion.” The clarification followed the adoption of the 6th National Health Promotion Comprehensive Plan (2026–2030), which referenced aligning cigarette levies more closely with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, recommending total taxes at 75% of the retail price.

With a pack priced at 4,500 won ($2.97), current taxes and levies are 73.8%, totaling 3,323 won ($2.19), prompting speculation that prices for a pack could approach 10,000 won ($6.60). The ministry said these ideas stem from a 2021 long-term plan and remain medium- to long-term considerations, adding that any move on cigarette taxes or an alcohol levy would follow broad expert and public consultation due to potential economic and social impacts.

Ongjin County in South Korea opened applications for retailers seeking approval to sell synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes ahead of new national regulations taking effect on April 24. Under amendments to the Tobacco Business Act, synthetic nicotine products will be treated as tobacco, requiring official retailer designation, with penalties of up to six months in prison or fines of 5 million won ($3,350) for non-compliance.

Ongjin County will allow existing sellers to apply for a temporary exemption from the restriction requiring 50 meters between the two products being sold until 2028, but only if they sell synthetic products exclusively. Authorities said the measure is aimed at strengthening oversight and ensuring compliance with the updated law.

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones is backing new legislation he says will do more than warn people about the dangers of vaping, backing the Vape Enforcement Act, a pair of bills (House Bill 308 and Senate Bill 620) passed by the Virginia General Assembly that would tighten controls on vape sales and enforcement across the state. The legislation would restrict retail sales to products authorized or under FDA review, effectively banning unapproved products from store shelves. It also introduces stricter compliance requirements for retailers, with a focus on limiting youth access to illegal vaping products.

Under the proposed rules, enforcement would include random compliance checks conducted by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, along with penalties such as fines and potential loss of retail licenses for violations. The bills are currently awaiting action from the governor, who has until April 13 to act on the legislation.