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Tag: tobacco control

  • EU Approves Bulgaria’s Vape Ban

    EU Approves Bulgaria’s Vape Ban

    The European Commission approved Bulgaria’s legislation banning the marketing, sale, and distribution of disposable e-cigarettes, triggering a three-month phase-out period for existing products on the market. The decision, issued under the EU Tobacco Products Directive framework, concludes that the measure is justified, necessary, and proportionate to protect public health, particularly in response to rising youth vaping rates. Bulgarian authorities cited data showing that one in four students aged 13–15 use vapes, alongside concerns over youth-targeted product design, nicotine-related health risks, and environmental harm from disposable devices.

    With the approval in place, Bulgaria will proceed with implementation, requiring retailers to clear inventory within the transition period or remove products from sale, with the option to export remaining stock. The move follows similar actions by other EU countries and reflects growing regional momentum toward stricter regulation of disposable e-cigarettes as policymakers seek to curb underage use and limit nicotine addiction among younger populations.

  • Philippine Farmers Hail Illicit Tobacco Crackdown

    Philippine Farmers Hail Illicit Tobacco Crackdown

    Farmers in the Philippines and local business groups welcomed the government’s intensified crackdown on illicit tobacco manufacturing and smuggling, following a series of enforcement operations. Organizations, including the Federation of Free Farmers, Federation of Philippine Industries, and the British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines said recent raids and factory shutdowns send a strong signal that authorities are serious about protecting legitimate businesses, government revenues, and farmers’ livelihoods. The comments followed law enforcement actions that uncovered several abandoned illegal cigarette factories in Pampanga and seized equipment and materials valued at about ₱400 million ($6.8 million).

    Officials said the illegal facilities were capable of producing cigarettes worth up to ₱160 million per day. Authorities estimate that illegal cigarette production and smuggling cost the Philippine government around ₱30 billion ($510 million) in lost excise taxes in 2025 alone. Department of the Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla warned that some illicit operations may have political or institutional backers, while enforcement agencies continue investigations to identify financiers and operators behind the networks.

  • Azerbaijan Sets Fines for E-cigarette Violations

    Azerbaijan Sets Fines for E-cigarette Violations

    Azerbaijan introduced fines targeting e-cigarette use and commerce under amendments to the Administrative Offenses Code signed by President Ilham Aliyev, AzerNEWS reported. Individuals using e-cigarettes in prohibited public areas, including streets, face a 30 manat ($17.60) fine, while violations involving import, export, production, wholesale, retail sale, or storage of e-cigarettes and components carry steeper penalties. Fines range from 350–500 manat ($205–$294) for individuals, 1,650–2,200 manat ($970–$1,294) for officials, and 4,000–5,000 manat ($2,352–$2,941) for legal entities, with any contraband products subject to confiscation.

  • PHANZ and CAPHRA Clash Over Oral Products

    PHANZ and CAPHRA Clash Over Oral Products

    The Public Health Association of New Zealand (PHANZ) recently urged the government to reject oral nicotine and tobacco products, citing limited evidence and concerns over youth uptake, addiction, and unintended harms. PHANZ argued that introducing these products could pose risks to public health and recommended a cautious approach.

    In response, the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates called for strict, adult-only regulation rather than outright prohibition, emphasizing that adults who smoke deserve access to lower-risk alternatives. CAPHRA Executive Coordinator Nancy Loucas stressed that safeguards such as R18 sales, ingredient disclosure, marketing restrictions, and strong enforcement should accompany access, noting that blanket bans ignore evidence from Sweden and Norway where low-combustion oral products have coincided with major declines in cigarette use.

    CAPHRA also criticized New Zealand’s current patchwork of import restrictions, advocating for a clear legal category and risk-proportionate regulations that protect youth while giving adults credible alternatives to combustible tobacco.

  • Kuwait Bans Nicotine Sales Through Digital, Delivery Platforms

    Kuwait Bans Nicotine Sales Through Digital, Delivery Platforms

    Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry has issued a Ministerial Resolution banning the sale of tobacco, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and related “consumption tools” via home delivery or any digital platforms. Effective March 15, the resolution empowers the ministry to enforce penalties for violations, including warnings, temporary business closures, and license revocation for repeated offenses. The ministry highlighted its commitment to the strict regulation of tobacco sales and ensuring adherence to the new rules.

  • Macau Proposes Tougher E-Cigarette, Tobacco Rules

    Macau Proposes Tougher E-Cigarette, Tobacco Rules

    The Health Bureau (SSM) unveiled five proposals to strengthen Macau’s Smoking Prevention and Control Law, targeting youth and emerging products. Key measures include banning public possession of e-cigarettes, prohibiting nicotine pouches, shisha, and herbal cigarettes, and introducing standardized packaging with 85% health warnings.

    The proposals, aimed at curbing smuggling and teen appeal, also allow frontline monitors to use body cameras during inspections and open a public consultation period from March 8 to April 8. The SSM emphasized that these measures build on the 2012 law and the 2018 amendments to protect public health.

  • Bangladesh Moves to Enact Tobacco Control Ordinance Into Law

    Bangladesh Moves to Enact Tobacco Control Ordinance Into Law

    Bangladesh is preparing to convert the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 into law in the upcoming parliamentary session, with government officials emphasizing urgent action to curb tobacco-related health and economic impacts. State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. M.A. Muhit and Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said that tobacco use affects over 21 million adults, causing nearly 200,000 deaths annually and economic losses of about BDT 87,000 crore ($7.9 billion).

    The ordinance includes strict measures such as banning e-cigarettes, vaping devices, and heated tobacco products; prohibiting tobacco sales within 100 meters of schools, hospitals, and playgrounds; eliminating designated smoking areas in public spaces and transport; and increasing pictorial health warnings on packaging from 50% to 75%.

    Civil society representatives, including anti-tobacco groups and media organizations, urged the government to pass the law without delay to protect public health, especially for women and children. Officials stressed that the law’s passage is critical to fulfill election commitments, reduce mortality, and prevent further economic losses, while the Ministry of Information pledged to support implementation once enacted.

  • Bangladesh Court Gives Authorities 30 Days to Close Hookah Lounges

    Bangladesh Court Gives Authorities 30 Days to Close Hookah Lounges

    Yesterday (March 3), Bangladesh’s High Court ordered authorities to shut down illegal shisha and hookah lounges nationwide within 30 days and issued a statement, questioning why failure to act against such establishments should not be declared unlawful. The bench of Justices Razik-Al-Jalil and Md Anowarul Islam directed secretaries of the home and health ministries, as well as the heads of the Department of Narcotics Control, Rapid Action Battalion, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, and Dhaka North and South city corporations to respond.

    The order followed a public interest writ filed by Supreme Court lawyer SM Zulfiqure Ali Junu, who argued that many lounges operate under the guise of cafés and restaurants without lawful authority, posing serious public health risks. The petition cited violations of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005 (Amended 2013) and the Narcotics Control Act, 2018, alleging that authorities had failed to act despite reports of minors accessing shisha.

  • Singapore Drastically Raising Vape Fines

    Singapore Drastically Raising Vape Fines

    Singapore’s government introduced sweeping amendments to its tobacco control laws that would sharply raise penalties for vaping-related offences and expand powers to tackle psychoactive substances. The Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) (Amendment) and Other Matters Bill, tabled on Feb 12, proposes renaming the law the Tobacco and Vaporizers Control Act and increase maximum fines for users from S$2,000 to S$10,000 ($1,560 to $7,800), S$200,000 ($156,000) and up to six years’ jail for sellers, and S$300,000 ($234,000) and up to nine years’ jail for smugglers. The move comes six months after authorities tightened enforcement, as more than 3,500 people were caught for vape possession and use in the final four months of 2025.

    The Bill also targets etomidate-laced vapes, or “Kpods,” by listing etomidate and its analogues as specified psychoactive substances, aligning penalties with those under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Etomidate was temporarily classified as a Class C drug from Sept 1, 2025, amid rising youth use, with the listing now extended to April 30 while legislative amendments are finalized. The proposed changes would allow for strict penalties — including imprisonment and caning for trafficking and smuggling — and apply extraterritorially to Singaporeans and permanent residents who commit offences overseas.

  • Spain’s PSOE Wants to Restrict Sale of Vapes, Pouches

    Spain’s PSOE Wants to Restrict Sale of Vapes, Pouches

    The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) submitted a non-legislative proposal in Congress to restrict the sale of vapes and nicotine pouches, according to Infosalus. The initiative seeks to ban online sales and prohibit their availability in non-specialized retail outlets, limiting distribution to authorized stores only. The move is part of a broader effort to curb consumption and protect public health, particularly among young people, by tightening control over access to these products.

    “The objective is to put an end to the current ‘lack of control’ in the marketing of these products, which, in its opinion, facilitates tax evasion and non-compliance with current health and environmental regulations,” Infosalus wrote.