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Tag: tobacco control

  • Indonesia Adding, Not Subtracting Tobacco Tax Tiers

    Indonesia Adding, Not Subtracting Tobacco Tax Tiers

    Indonesia’s government plans to expand the country’s tobacco excise tax structure with additional tax tiers this year, according to Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa. The proposal remains under discussion with the House of Representatives, but the minister said implementation would proceed after budget deliberations are completed. The government has said the additional tiers are intended to reduce illicit cigarette circulation and increase state revenue.

    The plan has faced criticism from public health and civil society groups, which argue that adding more tiers to Indonesia’s already complex tobacco tax system may not effectively address illegal cigarette sales. Indonesia currently has eight excise tax groups covering machine-made and hand-rolled kretek cigarettes, and industry observers have called for simplification rather than expansion. Supporters of reforming the structure say a more balanced approach is needed to limit illicit trade while maintaining government revenue from the legal tobacco market.

  • Spain Looks to Include Most Nicotine Products as It Extends Smoking Ban

    Spain Looks to Include Most Nicotine Products as It Extends Smoking Ban

    Spain’s government unveiled draft legislation that would ban smoking on outdoor bar and restaurant terraces while significantly expanding the country’s smoke-free areas and applying the same public-use restrictions to vaping products, heated tobacco products, nicotine pouches, hookahs, and herbal inhalation devices as conventional cigarettes. The proposal, which still requires parliamentary approval, would also prohibit smoking within 15 meters of entrances to public buildings, schools, healthcare facilities, and playgrounds, as well as at sports venues, universities, public swimming pools, work vehicles, and public events.

    The hospitality sector has opposed the terrace smoking ban, warning it could shift smoking into private homes and negatively affect businesses.

  • Virginia AG to ‘Aggressively Enforce’ New Tobacco, Vape Laws

    Virginia AG to ‘Aggressively Enforce’ New Tobacco, Vape Laws

    Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said his office is preparing to aggressively enforce the state’s new tobacco and vape law, which took effect July 1 and expands the attorney general’s authority to pursue businesses selling illegal products. The law requires retailers to obtain permits to sell tobacco and vaping products and authorizes the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to conduct regular inspections, including undercover compliance checks involving underage buyers and verification that only approved products are being sold.

    Jones said his office will target retailers violating the law while working with local governments, which are also adopting measures such as zoning restrictions on smoke shops.

  • Switzerland Backs Cantons in Disposable Vape Ban

    Switzerland Backs Cantons in Disposable Vape Ban

    Switzerland’s Federal Court upheld the canton (state) of Valais’ ban on the sale of disposable e-cigarettes, dismissing legal challenges brought by the Swiss Tobacco Trade Association, Philip Morris Switzerland, and other parties. The ruling confirms that the ban, which took effect in May 2025 after being approved by the canton’s parliament in 2024, is compatible with federal law and serves legitimate public health and environmental objectives.

    The court found that while the federal government has the authority to prohibit disposable e-cigarettes nationwide, individual cantons may enact their own restrictions until such action is taken at the national level.

  • Macau Moves Toward Tighter Nicotine Controls

    Macau Moves Toward Tighter Nicotine Controls

    Macau’s Legislative Assembly’s Third Standing Committee completed its review of amendments to the city’s tobacco law and endorsed the government’s proposals ahead of a final legislative vote, moving it closer to adopting stricter tobacco controls. The bill would expand smoke-free zones to within 10 meters of hospitals, health centers, and schools; prohibit the possession or use of e-cigarettes in smoke-free and certain public outdoor areas; and ban the manufacture, sale, import, and export of nicotine pouches, herbal cigarettes, and hookahs. It also raises fines for illegally transporting these products across Macau’s borders from MOP4,000 to MOP10,000 ($480 to $1,200), while requiring cigar packaging to carry health warnings covering 70% of both sides.

    If approved, most provisions would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, with standardized tobacco packaging and expanded warning labels phased in beginning July 1, 2028.

  • Oregon Extends ‘Tobacco’ Definition to All Oral Nicotine Products

    Oregon Extends ‘Tobacco’ Definition to All Oral Nicotine Products

    Oregon’s Senate Bill 1571 (signed into law June 5) expanded the state’s definition of tobacco products to include oral nicotine pouches, lozenges, and gum containing either natural or synthetic nicotine, bringing the products under the same age-verification and retail requirements as cigarettes and vaping products. Retailers must now verify purchasers are at least 21, aligning Oregon law with federal regulations.

    The legislation follows concerns over increasing youth use of flavored oral nicotine products, which the Oregon Health Authority has identified as widely promoted through retail discounts.

  • Alabama Denies Injunction Fighting Vape Regulatory Laws

    Alabama Denies Injunction Fighting Vape Regulatory Laws

    The Alabama Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision denying a preliminary injunction against the state’s 2025 law regulating electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), allowing the law to remain in effect while litigation continues. The court ruled that the Vapor Technology Association and retailer Southside Vape had standing to challenge the law, but were unlikely to succeed on their claims that it is preempted by federal law or violates the dormant Commerce Clause.

    The justices found that the federal Tobacco Control Act preserves states’ authority to regulate the sale and distribution of tobacco products more stringently than federal requirements, and that Alabama’s restrictions serve a legitimate public health purpose rather than unlawfully discriminating against interstate or foreign commerce. The law establishes certification requirements, fees, and an ENDS product directory, with penalties for retailers selling products not listed on the state-approved directory.

  • NC Budget Adds $1,000 Vape Shop Tax, Age Mandate

    NC Budget Adds $1,000 Vape Shop Tax, Age Mandate

    North Carolina’s new $34.4 billion state budget includes requirements for vape retailers, imposing a $1,000 annual tax on vape shops and requiring them to verify that customers are at least 21 years old. Retailers who already follow the federal Tobacco 21 law said the age-verification requirement formalizes existing practices, while the new tax will increase operating costs. The changes are part of the state’s broader effort to strengthen oversight of vape sales and reduce youth access to nicotine products.

    According to ABC News 13, the budget measures have prompted calls from tobacco-control advocates to expand regulation beyond vaping products to include cigarettes, cigars, and nicotine pouches. Advocates also continue to push for Solly’s Law, which would establish a statewide tobacco retail licensing system and align North Carolina’s enforcement framework with the federal minimum tobacco sales age of 21. Retailers say they support reasonable regulations that promote compliance and keep nicotine products out of the hands of minors.

  • Argentina Updates Tobacco, Nicotine Health Warnings

    Argentina Updates Tobacco, Nicotine Health Warnings

    Argentina’s Ministry of Health approved new graphic health warning requirements for cigarettes, combustible tobacco products, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, nicotine sticks, and nicotine pouches under Resolution 796/2026. The updated rules replace previous warning regulations and introduce a single mandatory warning for non-combustible nicotine products stating, “This product contains nicotine that is highly addictive.” The measure also updates packaging, advertising, point-of-sale signage, and smoke-free area requirements, while requiring cessation information and Ministry of Health contact details on product packaging.

    The resolution gives manufacturers and importers 180 days to comply with the new requirements and aligns implementation with Argentina’s existing nicotine product regulations. The ministry emphasized that the measure updates health warnings and labeling requirements but does not constitute a general authorization to market nicotine products.

  • Western Balkans Commit to Stronger Tobacco Policies

    Western Balkans Commit to Stronger Tobacco Policies

    Health ministers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia adopted a WHO/Europe-backed declaration committing to strengthening tobacco control across the Western Balkans. The agreement calls for comprehensive smoke-free laws covering indoor public places, workplaces, and public transportation, along with stronger enforcement, public education, improved monitoring, and measures to shield tobacco control policies from industry influence. The declaration aims to reduce the region’s high tobacco use rates, where adult smoking prevalence ranged from 21% to 40% in 2024.