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Tag: tobacco control

  • Guam Police Required for School Smoking Incidents

    Guam Police Required for School Smoking Incidents

    Police in Guam will now respond to incidents involving students vaping or using tobacco products on public school campuses following a policy update by the Guam Department of Education (GDOE). Under revised Student Discipline SOP 1200-018, nicotine violations are now classified as behaviors requiring mandatory contact with the Guam Police Department (GPD).

    Under the new procedure, GPD officers will confiscate tobacco or vaping devices, document the incident, issue a notice to appear before the Juvenile Section, and forward cases to the Office of the Attorney General. The policy takes effect immediately after school administrators confirm a violation and notify a student’s parent or guardian, at which point GDOE will initiate a call for police service.

    GDOE said the change follows a rise in vaping and nicotine violations on campuses and guidance from GPD leadership, citing the need to enforce the Youth Protection Act of 2017.

  • Indonesia Hopes Simplifying Excises Will Reduce Illicits

    Indonesia Hopes Simplifying Excises Will Reduce Illicits

    Indonesia is preparing to introduce an additional cigarette excise tax layer in 2026 as part of efforts to curb illegal tobacco and draw illicit producers into the formal market. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said the proposal is still under discussion but could be confirmed soon, with regulations potentially issued next week. The move is intended to complement the gradual simplification of the cigarette excise (CHT) structure, which has been reduced from 19 tiers in 2009 to eight under the current framework, while pairing incentives with stricter enforcement for non-compliance.

    Authorities underscored the scale of the illicit trade challenge, noting that Customs and Excise has seized around 1.4 billion illegal cigarettes through more than 20,000 enforcement actions since the beginning of 2025, including a recent seizure of 160 million cigarettes from a warehouse in Pekanbaru, Riau. In value terms, illegal cigarette seizures reached Rp9.8 trillion ($564 million) in 2025, up 2.1% year on year, highlighting the government’s intensified crackdown alongside planned excise reforms.

  • COSH Studies Find Approval of Hong Kong Tobacco Control

    COSH Studies Find Approval of Hong Kong Tobacco Control

    As policymakers in Hong Kong continue tightening smoking restrictions, a new survey commissioned by the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) says that 89% of residents support expanding smoke-free areas, with 60% supporting a smoking ban in all outdoor areas. The University of Hong Kong-led poll of 5,600 respondents found exposure to secondhand smoke remains a common complaint on pavements and roadsides.

    Hong Kong has already doubled fixed penalties for smoking offences to HK$3,000 ($390) and expanded no-smoking zones, with further measures planned, including restrictions on alternative smoking products and potential future steps such as plain packaging, duty stamps, and a ban on flavored tobacco targeted for 2027.

    In a separate modelling likewise commissioned by COSH, the Chinese University of Hong Kong estimated that increasing the tobacco tax to 75% of the retail price, followed by annual hikes, could lower smoking rates below 10% by 2037.

  • Vietnam Looking to Tighten Tobacco Control, Include Vape and HTP

    Vietnam Looking to Tighten Tobacco Control, Include Vape and HTP

    A draft revision released today (January 13) to Vietnam’s Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms signals a tougher regulatory stance on cigarettes and next-generation products, with measures aimed at strengthening public-health protections and limiting industry and special-interest influence. The proposal would require health warnings to cover at least 85% of cigarette packaging and expand smoking-cessation and detoxification provisions to include e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, reflecting reported rising nicotine dependence from alternative products. The amended law is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027, providing a transition period for regulators, local governments, and consumers, and marks a shift toward more proactive risk control—particularly for youth—by tightening definitions, advertising rules, retail practices, and cessation requirements across the tobacco and NGP categories.

  • Hong Kong Health Org Wants Firm Dates for Tobacco Laws

    Hong Kong Health Org Wants Firm Dates for Tobacco Laws

    Today (January 13), the Hong Kong Council of Smoking and Health (COSH) pressed the government to set a clear timetable for pending tobacco-control measures, warning that several proposals remain stalled ahead of Legislative Council review. COSH chairman Henry Tong said policies such as a ban on non-menthol flavored tobacco, the introduction of plain packaging, and a cigarette stamp duty system are slated for the second quarter of 2027, but lack firm implementation dates. He also urged faster action on banning smoking while walking, arguing that expanding outdoor no-smoking zones—modeled on Shanghai’s fully smoke-free Nanjing Road—could deliver immediate public health benefits.

    Ahead of next month’s fiscal budget, COSH is also calling for a sharp increase in tobacco taxes, recommending a rise to 75% starting in the next fiscal year, followed by automatic annual increases similar to systems used in Australia and the UK. The council further urged officials to define a concrete “smoke-free generation” timeline. Its recommendations are backed by a University of Hong Kong survey of 5,600 respondents conducted between late 2024 and mid-2025, which found nearly half had been exposed to secondhand smoke in the previous week, most commonly in outdoor public spaces such as pavements, crossings, parks, and bars.

  • Taipei to Announce Plans for Smoke-Free City in 2026

    Taipei to Announce Plans for Smoke-Free City in 2026

    Taipei City is moving toward tighter controls on public smoking, with Mayor Chiang Wan-an saying the city is considering various options and expects to roll out a “smoke-free Taipei” plan by the end of 2026. Chiang said officials are studying overseas models, including Tokyo’s use of designated smoking areas and booths, which he described as effective in reducing secondhand smoke and litter, signaling a likely approach that would ban smoking in principle while allowing limited, clearly defined exceptions in public spaces.

  • Türkiye Looking to Increase Smoking Controls

    Türkiye Looking to Increase Smoking Controls

    Türkiye plans to further tighten its already strict tobacco control regime, with Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu saying legislative work to expand smoking bans in enclosed spaces is nearing completion and expected to reach parliament soon. Memişoğlu said the measures aim to strengthen the fight against tobacco addiction by reinforcing smoke-free environments while scaling up smoking cessation clinics and mobile outreach teams nationwide. The move builds on Türkiye’s long-standing controls, including comprehensive indoor smoking bans, plain packaging, advertising prohibitions, and e-cigarette restrictions, as smoking rates remain above a quarter of the population despite years of enforcement.

  • Pakistan Bill Would Treat Vape Like Cigarettes

    Pakistan Bill Would Treat Vape Like Cigarettes

    Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services approved the Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Regulation) Bill, clearing the way for its introduction in the Senate as authorities move to curb rising youth vaping, particularly in Islamabad. The bill would impose strict controls on the import, sale, marketing, and use of e-cigarettes, including a ban on sales within 50 meters of schools and colleges, a minimum purchase age of 18, and a prohibition on vape use in public transport, government buildings, parks, and other shared spaces.

    The proposed legislation would regulate vapes similarly to traditional tobacco products, banning all advertising—especially marketing aimed at minors—and requiring product standards such as nicotine caps of 40 mg/ml, child-resistant packaging, health warnings, and mandatory age verification for e-commerce sales. Penalties include fines of up to Rs 50,000 ($175) for first offenses, with escalating sanctions for repeat violations and smuggling. The bill is undergoing inter-ministerial review before formal Senate consideration, signaling tighter oversight for the nicotine and vaping market in Pakistan.

  • Bangladesh Bans Vapes, Tightens Tobacco Laws

    Bangladesh Bans Vapes, Tightens Tobacco Laws

    Bangladesh’s interim government issued an ordinance banning e-cigarettes and other emerging tobacco products, significantly tightening the country’s tobacco control regime. The Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, promulgated on December 31, expands the definition of tobacco to include electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, bringing them under a single legal framework. Smoking and the use of all tobacco products are now prohibited in all public places and on public transport, with fines raised to a maximum of Tk 2,000 ($16.40).

    The ordinance makes the production, import, export, storage, sale, and use of e-cigarettes and similar products criminal offences, punishable by up to six months’ imprisonment, fines of up to Tk 500,000 ($4,100), or both. It also introduces a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship across all media, prohibits tobacco displays at points of sale, and bans sales within 100 meters of schools, hospitals and playgrounds. Packaging rules have been tightened to require health warnings covering at least 75% of packs, while enforcement powers have been strengthened to allow license cancellations, seizures, and criminal prosecutions.

  • Vietnam Ups Penalties for Vape, HTP Use

    Vietnam Ups Penalties for Vape, HTP Use

    Vietnam tightened restrictions on electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products under the newly issued Decree 371, introducing higher fines and expanded enforcement powers. Individuals caught using e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products now face fines of VNĐ3 million to VNĐ5 million ($114 to $190), with authorities authorized to confiscate and destroy the products.


    The rules also penalize those who allow such use on premises they own or manage. Individuals providing space for e-cigarette or heated tobacco use can be fined VNĐ5 million to VNĐ10 million ($190 to $380), while organizations face penalties of up to VNĐ20 million ($761). Officials said the measures aim to strengthen oversight as alternative tobacco products spread rapidly, particularly among young people.