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Tag: regulation

  • Guam Introduces Bill to Regulate Vapes

    Guam Introduces Bill to Regulate Vapes

    A new bill has been introduced in Guam to regulate vapor products, reports The Guam Daily Post. The bill, Bill 3-38, is known as the Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Excise Tax of 2025. It would establish a licensing and tax structure for vaping devices and electronic cigarette products.

    The bill is “not about penalizing adults who make personal choices,” according to bill author Joe San Agustin, but it is about “protecting our young people, promoting public health, and ensuring that a profitable enterprise in Guam contributes equitably to the island’s well-being.”

    The bill would create strict age restrictions and random inspections as well as penalties for retailers caught selling electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS) to minors. It would also establish a clear licensing structure for wholesalers and retailers.

    “While it is unclear what is ideal for the government of Guam, Bill 3-38 COR takes that first step toward addressing ENDS products as a separate group,” said Maria Lizama, director of the Department of Revenue and Taxation. “And we hope that better practices will eventually emerge.”

    If the bill passes, the department plans to develop internal systems to classify and report ENDS products distinctly from other products. “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy….We will simply have to comply,” said Lizama.

    The department is still discussing how the tax will be classified. “It’s a complex issue,” said Lizama. “Our initial thoughts were to just do an across-the-board, whether it’s the refillable part of it, whether it’s the one-time use, whether it’s the heating element, (or)…other gadgets,” she added. “We believe that’s probably the easiest for now, and then as we continue along, we also believe a better plan to tax will emerge.”

    Governor Lou Leon Guerrero suggested taxation at the wholesale level, but that was met with concerns of monopolization.

    “The biggest problem is wholesalers wanting to control the product.  There’s only one wholesaler on the island that actually sells vape products,” said Senator Telo Taitague.

    Easy youth access prompted the call for specific retailers selling ENDS products. “We’re having a lot of issues with kids getting their hands on it and going into a gas station. (It’s) as easy as that. It’s easy to pickpocket from the counter,” Taitague said. “But when you’re in one of these stores [ENDS retailers], they’ve got cameras everywhere. You can’t even step in there unless you’re 18 years old.”

    “It certainly would make things easier for our team,” Lizama said of specific ENDS retailers. “It will also perhaps provide greater control.”

  • BAT’s Wheaton Calls for Policymakers to Embrace Harm Reduction at GTNF Opening

    BAT’s Wheaton Calls for Policymakers to Embrace Harm Reduction at GTNF Opening

    Brussels, October 6, 2025 — Kingsley Wheaton, Chief Corporate Officer of BAT, opened the Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum (GTNF) with a call for policymakers to embrace harm reduction and real-world evidence as the basis for future regulation.

    “Right now, we stand at a crossroads,” Wheaton said. “One where the choices we make — as individuals, as companies, and as an industry — will shape the future of public health, policy, and perception.”

    Speaking under the GTNF’s theme, “Real World Evidence: The Race to Reduce Harm,” Wheaton argued that Sweden’s near smoke-free status demonstrates the effectiveness of tobacco harm reduction. He credited awareness campaigns, consumer access to smokeless products, and progressive regulation for driving smoking rates to among Europe’s lowest.

    “Sweden is on the verge of achieving something extraordinary: a smoking rate of just 5.3%—less than a quarter of the EU average,” he said. “This isn’t just a number. It’s a public health milestone. And it’s a powerful validation of a strategy that many dismissed: harm reduction.

    “Despite decades of global anti-smoking campaigns, 1 billion people still smoke. At BAT, we believe quitting is the best choice any smoker can make. But for those who won’t quit, offering scientifically substantiated, reduced-risk alternatives is essential. Sweden proves this approach works.”

    In his remarks, Wheaton touted the success of BAT’s Omni program, the company’s global platform and manifesto for tobacco harm reduction launched in 2024. He said Omni is both a movement and a communications framework through which BAT promotes its vision of a “Smokeless World,” aiming to make smokeless products mainstream and push for regulatory environments that support harm reduction.

    “With Omni, we’re launching a platform for science, dialogue, and collaboration to accelerate progress toward a smokeless world,” Wheaton said. “This transformation took belief—belief that we could be part of the solution. And today, I’m proud to say: we were right to believe in it.

    Wheaton also criticized prohibitionist policies, pointing to Australia’s illicit market as evidence of unintended consequences when safer alternatives are restricted. He urged EU policymakers to adopt proportionate, risk-based regulation that recognizes harm reduction as part of tobacco control.

    “How can policymakers not see what’s right in front of their eyes?” Wheaton said. “When safer alternatives are blocked, the void is filled by danger, not progress. It’s time to rethink, recalibrate, and reclaim the narrative. So perhaps it’s time to ask: What if the most effective way to end smoking isn’t to fight nicotine, but to reimagine it? What if the companies that once sold cigarettes can now lead the charge to make them obsolete?

    “The WHO continues to ignore and sideline harm reduction, clinging to outdated dogma while real-world evidence piles up. This is not just intransigence, it’s negligence. It’s time for policymakers to stop pretending this evidence doesn’t exist. Seventy percent of policy experts still believe nicotine is the primary cause of smoking-related diseases, like cancer. That’s not just inaccurate, it’s dangerous. If we’re serious about closing the Tobacco Harm Reduction deficit, we must engage directly with regulators, health authorities, and policy experts to ensure that safer alternatives are not just available, but understood, accepted, and encouraged.”

    The GTNF is the world’s leading annual conference discussing the future of the tobacco and nicotine industries. It is the global exchange for views and ideas between public health experts, government representatives, the industry, and investors.

  • Trinidad & Tobago Considers Harm Reduction in Tobacco Policy

    Trinidad & Tobago Considers Harm Reduction in Tobacco Policy

    Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Health said it is laying the groundwork for a new approach to tobacco control, with officials confirming they are collecting data to regulate reduced-risk products such as vaping, nicotine pouches, and heat-not-burn devices. The move signals a shift away from policies focused solely on bans and restrictions, toward strategies that emphasize harm reduction.

    Despite years of regulation, smoking rates remain high in the country, with nearly one in five adults still smoking. The absence of laws specific to vaping has left products in a legal grey area, creating uncertainty for smokers looking to switch to less harmful alternatives. Advocates argue that clear regulation could help reduce smoking-related disease and deaths, pointing to examples from Sweden and the U.K.

    Public health voices in Trinidad and Tobago say the country has an opportunity to chart its own course, using evidence-based regulation to give smokers safer choices. “Now is the moment to act,” one health advocate said, urging policymakers to put harm reduction at the center of the nation’s tobacco strategy.

  • Bangladesh Pushes for Tobacco-Free Generation

    Bangladesh Pushes for Tobacco-Free Generation

    Tobacco industry stakeholders are closely monitoring calls from Bangladeshi experts and advocacy groups to amend the country’s tobacco control law with the stated goal of creating a “tobacco-free generation.” While public health advocates link tobacco use to rising rates of non-communicable diseases and urge stricter restrictions, the industry cautions that sweeping amendments could have wide-ranging economic and social impacts. Bangladesh’s tobacco sector supports millions of livelihoods, from farmers to small retailers, and contributes significantly to government revenue through taxes and export earnings. Industry representatives stress that any legal reforms must balance health objectives with the realities of employment, trade, and fiscal stability.

    From the industry’s perspective, an outright tightening of laws—such as bans on e-cigarettes and vaping—risks pushing consumers toward illicit markets, undermining both health and tax collection goals. The sector emphasizes the importance of pragmatic regulation, transparency, and meaningful dialogue between policymakers, public health groups, and industry stakeholders.

  • Roanoke Weighs $20K Annual Fee for Vape, Tobacco Shops

    Roanoke Weighs $20K Annual Fee for Vape, Tobacco Shops

    The City Council in Roanoke, Virginia, is considering a $20,000 annual operational fee for specialty tobacco and vape shops operating within the city limits. The fee would specifically target businesses primarily profiting from vape, tobacco, THC, and related products, meaning gas stations and convenience stores would be exempt.

    Councilman Phazon Nash says the measure would promote public health and fund economic development programs, while Councilman Peter Volosin cautions against possible discrimination if minority-owned businesses are disproportionately affected.

    The proposal is under review by the city manager and city attorney, with Nash confident it will gain enough support to pass.

  • New Zealand Study Says Vape Not Helping End Smoking

    New Zealand Study Says Vape Not Helping End Smoking

    Health researchers in New Zealand examining the long-running Year 10s smoking study say the e-cigarette companies are wrong: vaping is not displacing smoking among young people. Researchers from the University of Auckland, Australia’s Cancer Council New South Wales and the University of Sydney’s Daffodil Center, looked at vaping and smoking trends among New Zealand adolescents.

    Published last Friday (March 21), the study analyzed 25 years of data, from 1999 to 2023, examining the potential impact of vaping on smoking trends among nearly 700,000 students aged 14 to 15 years old.

    Researchers expected to see a decline in smoking after vapes were introduced, but University of Auckland research fellow Dr. Lucy Hardie said that while youth smoking rates in New Zealand were declining steeply before vapes came on the scene in 2010, that progress has slowed.

     “What we found instead was that actually the rates of decline slowed, rather than speed up,” Hardie said. “For us, this means that potentially, young people are experimenting more, rather than less, with the advent of vaping.

     “That might be down to things like vaping being more socially acceptable, in this younger age group, and so it may not be such a leap to then start experimenting with cigarettes as well.”

    In 2023, approximately 12.6 percent of 14 to 15-year-old students in New Zealand had ever smoked, nearly double the 6.6 percent predicted in the pre-vaping era. Similarly, in 2023, around 3 percent of Year 10 students were smoking regularly, but this rate would have been just 1.8 percent had it followed its pre-vaping trend.

    The research contradicts an earlier and oft-quoted study from 2020 that suggested vaping might be displacing smoking among New Zealand youth. The new study uses the same data but drew on a much wider time period, Hardie said.

    The researchers found that vaping may have actually slowed New Zealand’s progress in preventing adolescent smoking. Meanwhile, the new research also shows the prevalence of daily vaping in New Zealand increased from 1.1 percent in 2015 to 10 percent in 2023.

  • Bill Aims to Exempt Premium Cigars from FDA Control

    Bill Aims to Exempt Premium Cigars from FDA Control

    A bill introduced on the Congressional House floor Friday would exclude cigars from the broader “tobacco product” categorization defined by Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, thereby exempting premium, handmade cigars from FDA regulation.

    Under the new bill, premium cigars would follow the same definition Judge Amit P. Mehta recently established in the cigar industry’s lawsuit battle with the FDA. This definition of a premium cigar would include the following parameters:

    • Wrapped in whole tobacco leaf  
    • Contains a 100% leaf tobacco binder  
    • Contains at least 50% long-filler tobacco
    • Is handmade or hand-rolled
    • Has no filter, nontobacco tip, or nontobacco mouthpiece  
    • Does not have a characterizing flavor other than tobacco  
    • Contains only tobacco, water, and vegetable gum with no other ingredients or additives  
    • Weighs more than six pounds per 1,000 units.

    The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act essentially authorizes the FDA to regulate food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics. These broad categories ultimately include “tobacco products,” which are broadly defined in the Act as “any product made or derived from tobacco, or containing nicotine from any source, that is intended for human consumption…” H.R. 2111, being brought forth by Rep. Byron Donald, would amend this portion of the Act.

    “Back in January, the cigar industry notched yet another big victory against the FDA in the longstanding battle over regulating cigars,” Garrett Rutledge wrote for Cigar Aficionado. “The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia shot down the FDA’s appeal, which sought to overturn the 2023 ruling by Judge Mehta that ruled against the FDA’s application of the Deeming Rule on the cigar industry. The ruling spared the industry from a number of draconian regulations, but it did not fully remove the FDA’s ability to regulate premium cigars. H.R. 2111 aims to take that next step in excluding premium cigars from FDA regulation.”

    “Congressman Donalds’ leadership in introducing this bill is a victory for premium cigar manufacturers, small businesses, and the countless American consumers who appreciate these handcrafted products,” says Mike Copperman, executive director of Cigar Rights of America. “This legislation is not just about regulation, it’s about preserving an industry and ensuring that premium cigars are treated fairly.”

    Donalds introduced similar legislation during the previous Congressional session, and while it gained 13 co-sponsors, it stalled in the committee stage largely due to the election.

  • Hong Kong: Bill Would Strengthen Tobacco Control, Hurt Pubs

    Hong Kong: Bill Would Strengthen Tobacco Control, Hurt Pubs

    Hong Kong Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said an amendment bill to strengthen tobacco control will be submitted to the Legislative Council in April that would impact virtually every product, all on different timelines. He said a potential ban on flavored non-menthol-flavored cigarettes could begin as early as next year, with menthol-favored-cigarettes then following, but with no specific timeline given.

    “Menthol cigarettes have a longer history, which is why we hope the policy can be implemented gradually,” Lo said, pointing out that 40% of smokers use flavored cigarettes and of those more than 50% use menthol. “We want to start with non-menthol as a pilot.

    “We’ve seen significant opposition [about the flavor ban], especially from tobacco companies, which shows that this hits their core interests.”

    The bill would extend the flavor ban to water pipes and also include increased penalties for illegal tobacco, updated rules cigarette labeling rules, and new rules for travelers with tobacco. Lo also said that e-cigarettes, which have been banned from import and sale since 2022 but can still be owned, may be facing a complete ban by mid-2026.

    The Long Term Tobacco Policy Concern Group polled 514 customers at popular nightlife districts in Hong Kong recently and found that 80% of bar-goers would have less desire to frequent pubs if a flavor ban was put in place, and that 70% would consider patronizing establishments on the mainland instead. Pub operators predicted a 30% loss of patrons if the government proposal was approved.

    “This is pulling out the last straw in such a terrible situation,” said Ben Leung Lap-yan, charter president of the Licensed Bar and Club Association of Hong Kong, which represents more than half of the city’s 1,300 licensed venues. “Should so many measures be put forward in the current poor economic environment in such a tough and aggressive way?”

  • FDA Warns 9 More for Illegal Vape Sales

    FDA Warns 9 More for Illegal Vape Sales

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to eight online retailers and one manufacturer for selling and/or distributing unauthorized flavored, disposable e-cigarettes.

    Some of the unauthorized products cited in the warning letters are marketed under brand names for disposable products, including Geek Bar and Lost Mary, according to the FDA. Other unauthorized products cited feature the names and/or images of celebrities.

    The firms receiving these warning letters sold and/or distributed e-cigarettes in the United States that lack authorization from FDA to be legally marketed in the U.S., which is in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

    In addition to the violations mentioned in the warning letters, the firms were warned to address any violations that are the same as, or similar to, those stated in the warning letter and to promptly take necessary actions to comply with the law.

    Failure to promptly correct the violations can result in additional actions such as an injunction, seizure, and/or civil money penalty.

  • Top Court to Hear Triton Vaping Case

    Top Court to Hear Triton Vaping Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court will next week hear the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s defense of the agency’s rejection of two companies’ premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) to sell flavored vape products that it has determined pose health risks for young consumers.

    The live audio of the hearing can be found here.

    The justices took up the FDA’s appeal filed after a lower court ruled that the agency had failed to follow proper legal procedures under federal law when it denied the applications to bring their nicotine-containing products to market.

    The Supreme Court is due to hear the case in its next term, which begins in October, according to Reuters.

    Two e-cigarette liquid makers, Triton Distribution and Vapetasia, filed premarket tobacco product applications in 2020 for products with flavors such as sour grape, pink lemonade, and crème brulee and names such as “Jimmy The Juice Man Strawberry Astronaut” and “Suicide Bunny Bunny Season.”

    The FDA rejected the companies’ applications, along with more than 1 million other products.

    Triton and Vapetasia in 2021 asked the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review the FDA’s denial of their applications.

    In January, the 5th Circuit ruled that the FDA had been arbitrary and capricious by denying the applications without considering plans by the companies to prevent underage access and use.