Vietnam’s Ministry of Health is seeking public feedback on a draft amendment to the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention that would significantly tighten regulations and close gaps in the current legal framework, according to Vietnam News. The proposed amendments prioritize public health over economic interests, align with Party and Politburo resolutions on health protection, and aim to fully meet Vietnam’s obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Key measures include banning the holding, transport, storage, advertising, promotion and use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products; prohibiting the display of tobacco products at retail outlets; expanding smoke-free venues; and increasing health warning requirements on packaging. The draft also introduces clear legal definitions for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, strengthens responsibilities of government agencies and local authorities, and adds new prohibitions on producing or trading components used to assemble such products, with a focus on protecting women, children and public health overall.
Tag: tobacco control
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Aussie Tobacco Retailers Warned to File for Licenses
Less than two weeks ahead of mandatory enforcement under Victoria, Australia’s new tobacco licensing scheme, the state’s Premier and Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation is urging all tobacco retailers and wholesalers to apply for a license before the February 1 deadline. The program, part of a broader crackdown on illicit tobacco and organized crime, allows businesses that apply before the deadline to continue trading while applications are assessed, while anyone applying on or after February 1 would have to wait for approval.
Tobacco Licensing Victoria, supported by Victoria Police, will enforce compliance with penalties of up to A$170,948 ($114535) and five years’ jail for individuals selling without a license, with businesses facing fines exceeding A$854,000 ($572,000). The initiative, backed by A$46 million ($30.8 million) in the 2025/26 budget, also grants inspectors powers to suspend or cancel licenses, seize illegal products, and pursue court action, with strict eligibility criteria ensuring licenses are granted only to “fit and proper” applicants.
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TCA: Alternative Products Jeopardize Georgia’s Smoke-Free Ambitions
The Tobacco Control Alliance (TCA) said Georgia’s goal of becoming tobacco-free by 2040 is under threat due to the rapid rise in e-cigarette and heated tobacco use, particularly among young people. The 2025 Global Adult Tobacco Survey said smoking prevalence in the country fell from 33% to 24% over the past decade, but the TCA says alternative nicotine products are undermining progress. The TCA is urging stronger “tobacco endgame” measures, including equal taxation of all tobacco and nicotine products, tighter controls on e-cigarettes, flavor bans, higher age limits, and stricter enforcement, noting that tobacco-related economic damage far exceeds tax revenues and that public support for tougher policies is strong.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.